What Impact Does Fibromyalgia Have on Everyday Life
Here is a brief description of the symptoms of this disease:
Diffuse pain: Usually in the muscles, burning, beating of dagger without any apparent cause. This pain is insidious and often spontaneous, with no apparent and obvious signs of swelling or redness.
Generalized tiredness: Unusual and persistent tiredness, often accompanied by lack of physical and mental resistance. The person is still feeling heaviness.
Sleep disorders: Lack of restful sleep, often accompanied insomnia, sleep apnea, muscle twitching and / or syndrome restless legs.
Mood disorders and anxiety: Affective disorders that can be found in different states like depression, bipolarity or dysthymia. The people with mood disorders are more at risk of developing disorders anxiety, panic disorder and phobias. Symptoms include a excessive anxiety, a feeling of fear, worry and behaviours avoidance and compulsion. Catastrophism and pessimism are often there associates.
Cognitive Impairment or “Brain Fog”: Concentration Disorders, Holes memory, short-term memory consolidation disorder that decreases speed performance, slower movements, inability to do multiple things at the distraction and / or cognitive overload and disorientation.
Stiffness: It is normal to have generalized or localized stiffness, especially in awakening but, in the case of people with FM, they usually persist for hours like active rheumatoid arthritis. These stiffness can reappear during certain periods of inactivity of the day.
Anyone diagnosed with fibromyalgia may feel relieved and / or become worried about this disease.
The person relieved of knowing the disease which afflicts it can have the feeling of finally be able to act on his illness by deciding to manage it in the most effective as possible, by learning about the resources available in their community and by collaborating with his doctor to find treatments appropriate to his condition.
Other people may experience this acceptance stage more difficult and pessimistically. We often hear the following sentences: My days don’t are no longer as full as before; I do half of what I would like to do; I can’t concentrate anymore; I have to take breaks during the day. These new realities can lead to sadness, a feeling of helplessness, discouragement, anger and irritability. Some people react by isolating themselves from their circle of friends feeling that they are no longer able to do the same activities as them. They may experience the feeling of losing control on their lives and this feeling of loss, can even lead these people to live a depression.
Household chores can also cause additional stress, by not being able to perform them as before. The impact on the couple and the family may cause questions about how to distribute the tasks necessary for the proper functioning of family life. The people sufferers must learn to make choices, to take breaks, to settle down limits and deal with their energy reserves. The person can also redefine his social involvement in order to focus his energies on family and friends.
It is advisable to keep in touch with the people you love since their support will be invaluable in the most difficult times. . Do not hesitate to refer to available resources in your area and find help.
Support from family and loved ones is often essential to maintaining the well-being of the person with fibromyalgia. This support even allows sometimes to influence the outcome of treatments and the course of the disease. It is difficult to find a perfect recipe that suits any situation. However, be receptive to suggestions and don’t hesitate to ask for help.