I could have wrote this myself. I have the same emotions when I go to the doctor. This winter was absolutely awful for me also. I live in south Mississippi and I can never remember a worse winter. I can’t find a pain management doctor that takes cash, for real. And can’t find a GP that gives any kind of pain meds.
Hello Delores
Living with chronic pain wears us down and our emotions are harder to control. Nights when my pain is not under control the pain will not allow me to sleep so your doctor is right when he says that you are not getting enough sleep due to the pain. Doctors are limited in how they can help you. They try to prescribe pain medications to allow you to be able to function, but there are those times when the meds are not sufficient. Then we just have to be patient til the pain storm passes. The other thing your doctor can prescribe is sleep medication. I take a sleeping pill at night and it helps me to sleep. But there are nights when it is not sufficient so I have to get out of bed and sit in my recliner and turn on my two heating pads and try to relax until the pain subsides and I can go back to bed and sleep.
Thank you for your advice. I was seeing a psychologist a few years ago and it did seem to help me to work through some emotional issues. I appreciate you sharing your story with me.
Find another doctor. He sounds like a jerk. To tell you that you are just like the other Fibro patients complaining I would dump him and find a female. I had to switch from my male doctor to a female NP. I LOVE HER because she treats me as an individual. She doesn’t lump me in with anyone else; because we are all different.
I read this in my email and I just had the same experience the other day. I feel like while I am in the waiting room that maybe I am manifesting it and thinking of ALL of the MANY things i want to say and by the end of it I am just back to self pity again. I get in the door of his office and i can only remember one or two of the thngs I was going to say, don't remember words that I wanted to use to express certain things so he could possibly understand a little more. I really have to remember to keep a diary during the weeks so i can remember yesterdays happenings a little better. I know he has told me to go see mental health, I am oddly enough trying to get myself feeling a bit better before I do that but I think it would help a little. I could get my frustrations out about my GP to a therapist and then be able to talk with the GP without ending up wimpering and snotting because nobody will or can hear me. Do you see any kind of mental health practitioners?
I could not imagine having this or any other health disability without seeing my psychologist. She helps me soo much and my symptoms have reduced signifigantly. I think because of the immence compassion and emotional support she gives to me in that 45 minutes each week. Plus I have learned a lot about the bodys stress response and suppressed emotion processing. She helps me get perspective even when I sit there and cry, somehow she helps me turn the situation around and come up with clear rational solutions to little things that seemed so huge. I don't take any medication but once when I stopped counseling for a few months I got so bad with pain that I almost went to The Emergency room to ask to be admitted to the psych ward. So, I called her and started with my weekly appointments again. Ive been learning a lot about mind/body connection through counseling and a book called freedom from fibro in 5 weeks. Im not cured but I now know what I need to do to support my healing from this and Im 75% better. I slide back at times but I know why now and can correct it. I think a lot of people don't want to see a counselor because their afraid they'll be told its all in their heads. That's simply not true. Theirs a lot that goes on to perpetuate this condition and its not the same for everybody. But counseling can help unravel some of the cause of it and help. I hate going to counseling. HATE it. I always feel dread on the way there with a mild flare as Im sitting in waiting room and sleep all the next day. But that's cause I cry so much in her office and together we piece me back together and make some sence of my emotions. I do have traumas in my past. But we don't dwell on that , we only work through what comes up. If your considering seeing a mental health worker see a Psychologist. Not a licenced social worker or marriage family counselor. A "PSY D " has more training. It took a few tries before I found someone kind and compassionate. Don't go back to anyone that is clinical and cold. Find yourself someone that makes you feel like your with a careing friend and start slow to be sure you like the person. Its a long journey and you need someone you feel safe with. Not every counselor is a good counselor. Her biggest recommendation to me is meditation twice a day for 20 minutes to help rebalance my nervous system. Its scientifically proven .It just takes months to begin seeing and feeling results.Best of Luck. HUGS
Wow! I just had the same experience, but with my GP… He’s been my primary doc for over 25 years and I am so upset that I am seriously considering hauling my 4" thick folder of medical history to a new practice!
This is the first time I ever completely lost it… After he asked me if I felt like i needed to be in a mental facility!!! He outright contradicted what he said in my last visit, as well as my other doctors… Then proceeded to say that I should cut back on the meds that I am on because they are causing c/f symptoms. Told me that on my worst days when I take Neurontin, flexaril, temazepam, Motrin, use heat packs, take baths… Pretty much anything I can do to get a break from the pain (if I cAn manage to get comfortable enough to fall asleep, I’m thrilled!) - he wants me to set an alarm that goes off every hour to wake me up so that I will sleep at night!
I think crying is what we do because we are so frustrated, misunderstood, and tired!! - it is a last resort !!
Sorry I don’t have much advice for you, I just want you to know that there are lots of us out here that completely understand and struggle with the same issues! Hugs!
I didn't say it was a cure or is for everybody. Im sorry that my recovery seems unfair to you and others but its working so I shared it. Try to have more of an open mind instead of self limiting beliefs. You don't know everything and neither do I, I only know Im getting better. There is no magic pill for any disease or imbalance. I took my healing out of my doctors hands. They said see a psychologist so I finally did. I don't regret it. I believe any compassion love and understanding and support does wonders to heal. My therapist is all of those things to me and Im recovering. As the pain improved the anxiety increased. That was proof to me that I was suppressing feelings. Therapists help you gain insight, its pretty neat but sucks at the same time. Its work. I don't focus on pain anymore, I meditate and work on my emotional healing. Sometimes I have to scream under my breathe to let go of the muscle tension. I have no idea what the feelings are but the pain goes away. 2 years ago, before counseling, I could not walk up the stairs into my house or up to second floor. I crawled. Now I can. No problem. No doctor ever helped me feel better. It took counseling. That's my story and Im sticking to it ;) Like it or leave it. Its your body. Some people have recovered in 5 weeks. Like that book tells about but those are uncomplicated issues. Im not so lucky. But I know Im gonna be OK.
I agree with you that therapy is not a cure, but I did improve when I was working through some old issues with a psychologist. I recently read an article about a Dr. who has helped people with severe back issues by helping them think differently about their condition. His name is Dr. John Sarno, if anyone is interested. Because fibromyalgia is different in every person, who is to say what will help or not help a person? I keep an open mind to everything because I have to believe that there is something out there that may help me.