The problem with illnesses like fibromyalgia and M.E. are that we have a medical system that believes the ‘physical’ and ‘mental/emotional’ aspects of ourselves are totally unrelated. As a result, when they can’t easily observe physical changes, they say it’s psychological, by which they imply ‘it’s all in your mind’ and ‘you’re faking it’. Very reasonably, sufferers from these all too real conditions get extremely aggravated.
But the truth is that much, if not most, possibly ALL illness has a psychological component. When something isn’t right in our very selves, we may ‘express’ or ‘deal with’ that dis-ease on a physical, emotional or mental level. ALL THESE FORMS OF EXPRESSION ARE REAL!!!!
So there is absolutely no doubt that fibromyalgia exists, the pain and suffering are not imagined or hypochondriacal, and physical help is needed - but there is a psychological component which is perhaps clearer in fibromyalgia than in rheumatoid arthritis. Don’t forget that cancer is MUCH more likely in people who have suffered trauma. It doesn’t mean that they have ’caused’ their cancer (it’s so easy to get into the ‘blame the victim’ approach but it’s quite unwarranted). So for some fibromyalgia patients, counselling/psychotherapy will be a helpful part of their treatment, and this does not in any way imply that their condition is imaginary or caused by them.
The problem with illnesses like fibromyalgia and M.E. are that we have a medical system that believes the ‘physical’ and ‘mental/emotional’ aspects of ourselves are totally unrelated. As a result, when they can’t easily observe physical changes, they say it’s psychological, by which they imply ‘it’s all in your mind’ and ‘you’re faking it’. Very reasonably, sufferers from these all too real conditions get extremely aggravated.
But the truth is that much, if not most, possibly ALL illness has a psychological component. When something isn’t right in our very selves, we may ‘express’ or ‘deal with’ that dis-ease on a physical, emotional or mental level. ALL THESE FORMS OF EXPRESSION ARE REAL!!!!
So there is absolutely no doubt that fibromyalgia exists, the pain and suffering are not imagined or hypochondriacal, and physical help is needed - but there is a psychological component which is perhaps clearer in fibromyalgia than in rheumatoid arthritis. Don’t forget that cancer is MUCH more likely in people who have suffered trauma. It doesn’t mean that they have ’caused’ their cancer (it’s so easy to get into the ‘blame the victim’ approach but it’s quite unwarranted). So for some fibromyalgia patients, counselling/psychotherapy will be a helpful part of their treatment, and this does not in any way imply that their condition is imaginary or caused by them.