CHRONIC ILLNESS

When people have a chronic illness such as Multiple Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia, Lupus Erithemtosis, and other immune deficieny diseases, there llives are not the same as others.  These diseases can be very disruptve in life in many ways.  People with chronic illness often can be tired and in pain.  Your illness might affect your ability to work, play, or affect your appearance.  They can cause financial problems.

All of these changes, can cause severe stress, anxiety, and anger, and depression.  If they do, a trained theapist, or psychologist, can help to regain feeling of control.  There are support groups.  People need to find that they are not alone.

With Fibromyalgia, sometimes the disease, is discounted, and not recognized, especially in other countries, that are not as advanced as the United States.  This discounting, of your problems, can exaserbate the feelings of being out of control, along with the stressors of fiibromyalgia, and the pain, and the fatigue, thereby causing the patient to feel isolated, which further escales fibromyalgia symptoms.  Some individuals with Fibromyalgia, do not want to be around friends, and relatives, because of the fear of being discounted.

Fibromyalgia is treatable by medications for pain and something to help improve sleep, which might include re-education of sleep habits.  In my practice, and for myself, I use meditation tapes in my ipod, which is also a form of self hypnosis.  When overly fatigued, during the day, take a nap, or lie down and use a meditaion tape to relax for l/2 hour.

Exercise programs, that stretch muscles, such as Pilates, and aerobic fitness, as well as relaxation techniques to ease muscle tension are all helpful.  Accupressure, massage, relaxation response and bio feedback are other methods to asssist the patient with Fibromyalgia.  Water exercise at your local YMCA or other providers of this type of exercise is another way to cope.  It is important to find out what is best for you.  But most important is to KEEP MOVING.  Exercise is a major part of liife, or should be with Fibromyalgia.  Walking, weights, aerobicis, yoga and Pilates are good lines of attacks for a full life.  Work with your doctor, for what is best for you.

When you are going to your doctor, list the most important issues, so that everything you want to cover is covered in the time you have with your physician..

More Later on taking back control of your life…. .  click here for a fibromyalgia support group

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And Round And Round it Goes!