Fibromyalgia was recognized as a disease by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1992. Fibromyalgia currently affects 4% of the population, nearly 90% of whom are women.
It is known as ‘invisible disease’ because it affects all soft parts of the musculoskeletal system and cannot be easily diagnosed by medical examinations. Fibromyalgia is not visible, leaves no marks on the skin, or causes lesions that others may see. It’s a lonely disease, and desperate pain.
- Having fibromyalgia is a very hard thing: I don’t know how I’m going to wake up today.
- If I can move.
- If I can laugh or if I just want to cry.
- What I’m clear about is that I’m not faking it: I have a chronic disease.
Currently, the etiology of this disease is still unknown, but what we do know is that more and more people are being diagnosed year after year, so medicine is trying to work on the most globalized intervention possible, including, of course, the biopsychosocial aspect. .
Today we want to present you some basic tips to deal with the disease with strength, improving your quality of life to the maximum.
When a person can’t get out of bed because they feel that way, their joints hurt, don’t pretend or look for an excuse not to go to work, people with fibromyalgia should add social misunderstanding to their own illness, with the feeling of feeling invisible in a world that believes only in what they see.
The main problem of FM (fibromyalgia) is in the controversy of its origin: psychological or organic, here are the main conclusions that experts point out:
It is necessary to clarify first that there is no medical evidence that it relates fibromyalgia to a psychiatric illness.
One thing to consider is that any emotional factor will increase the feeling of pain in these nerve fibers, a one-time stressful situation will result in an overload of stimulation and pain, and the feeling of chronic pain and fatigue can lead to impotence and even depression. .
Therefore, we fall into a vicious circle in which an organic disease is increased by the psychological factor, so it is worth controlling the emotional dimension to mitigate or at least “check” the etiological origin.
Chronic pain is part of our social reality, fibromyalgia (FM) being one of its main causes, now that we are clear that factors such as stress or sadness will increase the feeling of suffering, it is important to introduce basic coping strategies that can help .
Today you got up, dressed up and you can take to the streets, no one else will understand your accomplishments, but these little triumphs are important to you and must give you strength: you can be stronger than your illness.
First of all, it’s important to note that the same strategies won’t always work for everyone. You should find the right strategies for you based on your particularities and needs. To do this, try to select for yourself the ones that give you the greatest relief.
Turn these phrases around and you’ll see how your reality changes.