I have been looking into alternative ways to deal with fibromyalgia without using medication. Most recently my doctor referred me to see a psychologist specialising in chronic pain. I was wondering if anyone else has tried CBT therapy, mindfulness and seeing a psychologist to deal with the pain and whether this has helped. I have seen psychologists in the past but never for help in dealing with physical pain. I am curious to see what the psychologist will say and I hope that it brings something positive to my fibro journey.
Hi, yes I have been to a pain psychologist and the CBT skills taught are helpful when you are in constant pain and get very down. The other thing the psychologist taught is biofeedback but I never really got the hang of it. I do practice yoga (just the basic moves) and the breathing through a yoga practice really helps me to deal with the pain as do the gentle yoga stretches.
Since I have a couple of constant stressors in my life, I still see a regular therapist (not just a specialist for pain) to help me keep my stress level down. That is very helpful to me.
Hello Dee
I also have been seeing a pain psychologist who has helped me put the pain into perspective. I’ve spent the last many years trying to fight against and overcome the pain as doing anything else seemed like giving up to me. I have the same pain now, that hasn’t changed, but I now accept it as part of who I am and have stopped trying to fix it. He has taught me meditation, moving thoughts to different places and embracing rather than fighting against this chronic condition. I believe it has helped me immensely.
Hi,
I had been seeing a CBT psychologist before I was definitely diagnosed at The Mayo Clinic in Rochester. I was there for a total of ten days for some auto immune stuff. The put me in a Fibro group with other diagnosed patients and it was truly a great learning experience. It all made sense to me.I learned all about Central Sensitization and neuroplasticity. CBT was a very important tool to use. I will be sending my psychologist a note to make sure he knows how to approach fibro patients. I have some books and videos to help understand everything too.
I am now 72 years old and have dealt with pain all my life. As I child and now I had osteoarthritis but back then it was not recognized in children, therefore I was considered a wimpy pain in the ass. So I had to deal with pain on my own. By accepting my pain and just getting along with life I have been quite successful. My doctor once put me on a medication that suppressed the part of my brain that suppressed pain. It put me in considerable pain and severely crippled. Once off the medication I returned to a functioning human. Was the pain gone? No. But it was not severe. If we pay attention to our bodies and mentally give it what it needs we can accomplish amazing things. I day-hike and am an artist, for my own pleasure. I won’t corner the market with it but it puts my mind elsewhere and I do well. It makes me happy which is what we all need. Hiking and photographing everything as well as doing my art distracts my mind which opens me up to feeling better. I take my tramadol only when I am unable to function, like today with the hurricane front coming in. 30 pills will last me at least a half year and my body doesn’t get used to the medication thereby leaving the tramadol most effective. Less medication, more exercise and being attentive to my body and mind works best for me. And one thing more. My wife is a most exquisite woman to share life with. That is the trick. SHARE life with your partner.
DeeGabby
The CBD posts which appeared on this thread have been moved to Complementary Therapies. I apologize for the delay in getting them shifted: moving them was a bit of a complicated problem, but I think I’ve managed to remove them from this thread, as well as your comments pointing out that they were off-topic.
Seenie from ModSupport
I totally agree with paying attention to our bodies and I also do not like to take medication unless I am desperate. I am glad you are living life to the full. I may also take up a bit of art and hiking. They sound like great ideas
I’ve been seeing a therapist for about 2 years now… She’s taught me to use mindfulness to handle my anxiety. She recently gave me some articles on using mindfulness for chronic pain. I think the thing to remember when trying these things is it isn’t going to completely make you pain free. But the techniques can help you relate differently to your pain as well as bring it down a little. Last Monday night I went to a yin yoga class…I was already in pain before I went and after was worse. I was laying in bed trying to go to sleep, shaking from pain. I was able to use mindfulness breathing to calm my pain down below shaking level and fell asleep. Also just having my therapist to talk to about my pain helps me emotionally.
