Fibromyalgia - The 3 Challenges All Sufferers Face

The pain and irritation that Fibromyalgia gives to it sufferers brings with it various stages, each one a challenge and opportunity, that must be faced. If you lose the battle at each level then a worsening of the illness seems inevitable...

Fighting

When first diagnosed with the illness many sufferers are frustrated, and often refuse to accept the fact they are ill. They may have differing views and knowledge of what Fibromyalgia is, how they got it, and what the future lies ahead for them.

May resolve to "beat it", and to be better, fast. They set about a frenzied study of Fibromyalgia, causes, treatments, and options, eventually arriving at a strategy which is often approached with limited energy to see it through.

Although some succeed in slowing the diseased progress, or even appear to "cure it", for most the future is to drift into stage two.

Tolerating

At this stage the Fibromyalgia sufferer has learned a level of acceptance of their illness, and to some degree lost faith in various treatments they have tried and failed to get a response from.

A large degree of irritation exists that they are STILL ill, often seeing their doctor or physician as "useless" or "not interested", routine visits are seen as a waste of time as "nothing can be done", and the sufferer begins to loose faith in their own ability to fight the disease and others to help or understand their dilemma.

Faced with a reduction of tools and weapons to fight the battle, the Fibromyalgia sufferer has little choice to wait for the seemingly inevitable stage three to kick in.

Resigning

I sort of giving up, and final acceptance that they are stuck with this "thing" for good, depression, which they may have had since the onset worsens, they begin to withdraw from society and are irritated with loosing out on many pleasures.

Those closest, carer, family and friends either hear nothing as the sufferers stays quite to endure their plight in silence, or get it with "both barrels" as frustration, fear, annoyance at everything is sounded off to anyone who cares, or is forced to listen. They want everything to change, be changed, and everyone to understand and support them.

Being resigned that you have Fibromyalgia for the long term, is a daunting thought and requires iron will, and ample support of carers, family and friends, and a great knowledge and education of what to expect as Fibromyalgia erodes the physical and mental health of those suffering it's wrath.

Summary

People contract Fibromyalgia over time, and more young people are now being diagnosed with it. At present there is no specific cure, but sufferers can slow the disease if they approach it's onset with knowledge, fortitude and the support of partners, friends and family. Each person is different as to how they can or ought to approach the challenge, some may win seemingly easily, others after a long, hard battle, and others just learn to live with it.

Maurice S Clarke is founding author of the web portal http://www.fibromyalgia-support.net offering Free, Unbiased Sources of Information for Fibromyalgia sufferers and their carers as well as a national directory of support groups.

This article may be published on a health web site, ezine or newsletter provide it remains intact with the link included. Copyright Maurice S Clarke 2007.