Is Stress Real, Is Fibromyalgia Real?
These are two questions that are often asked by those experiencing the effects of either. We live in a culture that likes to label every thing. Medicine can’t treat a problem unless it is a diagnosable disease. If it not a disease, it is not real.
Accused of being a quack, the physician Hans Steles who put stress on the map had to move to
Fibromyalgia, suffering the same plight is now being honored with its first drug. Pfizer in a new television ad touts the value of its drug Lyrica for fibromyalgia. I am glad that the suffers of this often misunderstood condition are getting recognized. So often, I have seen people who are told that either they are imagining their symptoms, they are depressed (inferring crazy) or to just get over it.
The cause of fibromyalgia
The downside of this drug release is it further diverts the focus from the real cause – stress and toxicity. Just like with Prozac and depression we will likely see the abatement of symptoms for some, no effects for others and an adverse reaction by others from this drug.
Many have cured themselves of both depression and its sibling, fibromyalgia through releasing their chronic stress and learning not to recreate it. There are few problems with this approach. First, it requires personal responsibility and commitment. Often it requires stepping beyond the traditional models and their treatment regimes. At some point as the stress starts to leave a person’s body the emotions that were associated with its imprinting are felt.
When these emotions first occurred, usually in childhood, we did not have the permission or the tools to express them, so we stuffed them. These emotions became stress, which became tension, which wears us out frequently causing depression, chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. As we begin to accept the stress so we can release it, we are accepting the former unacceptable emotions. This is not easy – but it is required if we are to get well.
Original fibromyalgia doc is cynical
In 30 years, I have never seen anyone truly get well from these conditions without dealing with their stress and emotions. The drugs maybe great at suppressing some of the symptoms; no drug removes the cause – stress. “Dr. Frederick Wolfe, the director of the National Databank for Rheumatic Diseases and the lead author of the 1990 paper that first defined the diagnostic guidelines for fibromyalgia, says he has become cynical and discouraged about the diagnosis. He now considers the condition a physical response to stress, depression, and economic and social anxiety.” – as quoted from the New York Times.
The New York Times article finishes with – “Still, Dr. Wolfe expects the drugs will be widely used. The companies, he said, are ‘going to make a fortune.’” Let’s hope all this attention validates the pain many suff and supports them in healing the cause of the pain.
on February 20th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
As much as I appreciate a post being written on Fibromyalgia stressing the fact that it is in fact a real problem, I don’t believe Fibromyalgia should be referred to as a “sibling” of depression. Fibro is not a mental health disease and shouldn’t be referred as such. Depression, along with CFS, pain, muscle weakness, and a host of other conditions, is just some of the components of the “disease.” People often confuse clinical depression with situation depression. It’s like saying that somebody with cancer, who is depressed because they’re in pain and can’t do the things they used to do, is clinically depressed and needs medication for the condition. Not surprisingly, when the cancer goes away, so does the depression because they were never clinically depressed to begin with. I’m not a doctor, so this is just my personal opinion. Anyone with a chronic disease is going to be stressed out, depressed and have economic burdens that other doesn’t. What came first, the chicken or the egg?
on April 7th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
I do not have Fibromyalgia, but my mother and a close friend do. I have always been skeptical about this disorder/disease/collection-of-symptoms, but I do agree that the two sufferers I know are truly in pain. I can’t help but make a couple observations, however. Both my friend and mother are prone to depression, and both have trouble managing their money. Both of them have extremely sedentary lifestyles. Each is keen on self diagnosis as well as finding new doctors when they don’t hear what they want to hear. Also, they both tend to reject suggestions of self help, while quickly accepting medication as a cure for any problem a doctor will issue it for.
My mother is now planning on trying a new program involving a regime of injected drug cocktails, and is very hopeful about this program. I too hope that she feels better as a result of this treatment, but I am completely assured that if it works, it will be doing just what Dr. Wolfe said and removing the symptom, not the cause.
I always suggest to my mother that she should make an effort to get more exercise and get outside more often, and treat her stress partly by minimizing her medication intake so as to ease her very heavy financial burden, as opposed to making it much worse with even more expensive medication. My mother rejects these ideas, and while I am no doctor and my opinion may be dismissed as conjecture, I would hope some sufferers explore these and other stress reduction techniques before leaping on medication and the crutch of an aptly named disease.
on August 8th, 2008 at 9:54 am
STRESS is real. Most everyone will accept that fact. But to have to PROVE that fibromyalgia is REAL has been a ten year struggle for me. I have suffered with fibromyalgia for over 10 years. I am not sure exactly when it started but I have an idea HOW it started.
I lost my job over 8 years ago due to the REAL illness. But believe it or not, I AM often the person who has the hardest time believing in fibromyalgia and I AM THE SUFFERER!?! Seems strange, but it is not.
The reason is that there is so much DISBELIEF surrounding “fibro” (it’s all in your head, you look fine, etc etc) that you begin to question yourself and your sanity. But let me tell you, I AM NO WHINER or HYPOCHONDRIAC.
Just this past March, I embarked on a exercise program because my “fibro”(which I was questioning STILL) seemed to be getting “better”. I was feeling a bit more energy from taking a med called Provigil and going OFF of a med called Lyrica. So, I gave up my cane and started walking around the block of my neighborhood. Next I made two blocks. Eventually, I worked up to a mile each and every day. By the middle of spring I was walking 3- 4 miles a day and was able to jog a bit of it on and off. I hadn’t jogged in over 15 years. I was elated to say the least.
Up until 3 days ago, I was making daily trips to the high school track to walk/job 5 miles a day. I had more energy, my sleep was better, I lost over 20 lbs, and generally felt, I was IN THE CLEAR.
But fibro doesn’t work that way. Recently there have been some financial challenges (more serious than usual), and a hectic schedule began with my daughter’s summer theater program, and I was stressing over those two things. I didn’t really think about the effect of this type of stress on my body until about 3 days ago. So, about 3 days ago, I went to the track. It was extremely hot and humid that morning.
I began my walk and found that I was sweating, actually drenching by the first half of a mile. When I attempted to jog a bit, my muscles felt as if they were “on strike”. It was as if they refused to cooperate in the jogging activity. So, I stopped to stretch my calves a bit and proceeded to try to jog again. Once again, I felt that my body was just NOT cooperating in the activity of jogging. Walking was one thing but jogging wasn’t working. I pushed past this to the best of my ability but I was totally wiped out by the 4th mile. I usually jog one of the miles but it is split up amongst the walking, not done all in one stint. Watching the other runners/walkers struggle with the humidity, I left the track saying that it must just be the weather and that my body was reacting to it. Once the humidity past, I would feel much better, I told myself.
Well, the following morning, I had to get to the track earlier, because of a hectic schedule and things to be done with/for my daughter. The air was cooler and much drier on this morning. I admit I was feeling fatigued but I persisted to stretch and get ready for my 5 miles of walking/jogging.
Once again, it was as if my muscles didn’t want to work out. They were rebelling on me. I had my Ipod with me and tried to tune in to some more upbeat music. That didn’t work. I tried stretching again. That didn’t work. Finally, I pushed through the 4th mile and walked the 5th. I DID run the one mile but it was like climbing Mt. Everest.
I had seen this place, the high school track, as my haven over the last couple of months. Between the warm summer air, the breezes, the endorphins flowing from the jogging, and the stretching which felt so good, I was feeling like God had lifted the fibro from me.
Now, I was feeling as though a dark cloud had descended, once again, upon me and now I was having a flare, which I had not experienced in over 6-7 months. How could this happen? I was doing everything right, eating right, no junk, all healthy stuff, and exercising as best as I could.
Now I felt like a complete failure and was so discouraged by this setback.
I also realized that any doubts of my fibro, were gone. There was no way that this illness didn’t exist. It surely had done me in once again. Now it was up to me whether to continue to try to exercise or not.
This morning, I got up, once again to exercise. This time, I was feeling a bit better because I was making myself go to bed at 8 pm in spite of my daughter’s rehearsals. My hubby was helping me by picking her up at 9:30.
I was told by a trainer friend that I met at the track (who almost completed med school but was interrupted by a nasty divorce) that I should persist in my efforts to exercise and NOT let this setback get me. Even if I cannot jog, I should continue my walks and keep the mood positive. I could leave the track and start walking the neighborhoods again just to get a change of scenery but also to give the track a break, so as it not become my enemy in any way. Good advice.
I have a jam packed schedule this weekend, which includes grocery shopping, cleaning my house, my daughter’s musical 2 nights and Sunday. And finally packing for a trip to my brothers which I leave for on Tuesday. But I am not going to let any of this get me down. Armed with my many meds, I am going to get through it and ENJOY it. I have come this far, I can maintain my energy and health even if I give myself a ‘break’. I can’t become obsessed because that creates stress.
I have realized that stress has caused my flare and I need to pull back and stop stressing about everything. My life is good. I have food on the table and a place to sleep. I need to relax and enjoy adn not let anything get in the way of my progress.
Thanks for listening. This too shall pass. But yes, FIBRO is real, NEVER DOUBT IT. It is as real as cancer, MS, or a broken arm. Somehow, I believe that “our” nervous system has gone awry and if we keep it on an even keel, things will calm down. ONce it gets harassed by stress or overexertion, the FIbromyalgia rears its head and we suffer. Relax, live for today….don’t worry about tomorrow and don’t think you have to PROVE anything to ANYONE. You DO NOT. Someday, we will be vindicated. For now, one day at a time. Take care.
Regards MO
on August 8th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Mo,
Thank you for sharing your story and the struggle you go through. You are correct, Fibromyalgia is very real. You nailed it - it is stress. Chronic stress wears down our physical body. Acute stress worsens the condition.
My suggestion from working with many clients with Fibromyalgia is to more activities to get read of stress in your body and as a behavior habit. Mindfulness Stress Reduction classes have proven to be very beneficial, so has good bodywork. Unfortunately, exercise can in the short run seem to giving your energy, but often it is running you down more.
Good luck,
Owen
on August 11th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
These posts are all very interesting. My mom says that she has fibro too. The information that I have learned on here has helped a lot. I now know that stress is the factor. However, it is really hard to tell my mother this. My question is, “How do you tell the patient that stress is a factor?” Also, how can I get my mom to calm down and relax? Everything that I am doing doesn’t seem to be working, and she spends her time going from doctor to doctor with little to no results. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you guys so much for sharing, this has been very encouraging!
on August 11th, 2008 at 7:33 pm
Deb,
Unfortunately, when we tell someone to relax – they get tenser, if not just resist even more.
Often the key to turning around the stress – fibromyalgia cycle is expressing emotions. If you your mother start expressing what she really feels, I will bet that she will get better. You both may feel she is expressing her emotions. I suspect what she is doing is reacting. not sharing her true feelings and needs. Often we don’t know what they are because it has been so long since we expressed them.
The best thing you can do is to lead the way. You start sharing your feelings and wants. It sounds like one is how much you are love your mother and how her pain concerns your. It will be hard work for both of you, but I have seen it transform relationships and heal many somatic conditions.
I moved my mother to my town when my father died. The first year was tough for both of us. With help of the hospice bereavement group and me expressing my emotions, my mother became happier and healthier than I have seen her in decades.
Good luck – you can do it.