Fibromyalgia is Linked to Childhood Stress and Unprocessed Negative Emotions

People who suffer with fibromyalgia can all agree that they have never been told that any one thing caused the onset of their symptoms, and medical professionals will all agree that there does not seem to be one specific cause of fibromyalgia. However, more recently doctors and researchers have been looking into trauma(emotional trauma or childhood trauma) as being a major factor related to the onset of fibromyalgia in some people.

Whether it’s physical trauma, PTSD, emotional trauma or childhood trauma, there seems to be a link with the onset of fibromyalgia. One thing is clear however, for those who suffer from fibromyalgia, the areas in the brain that are responsible for reaction to pain is very different than for those who do not have fibromyalgia. In those patients who suffer from fibromyalgia there appears to be a decrease in the opioid receptors in the brain that can affect the emotional aspect of pain.

Fibromyalgia essentially may be a change in the central nervous system that causes a heightened response to pain, or essentially, pain reception or response in the brain gets thrown out of balance which may be attributed now to trauma or injury. There are several types of trauma or traumatic events that may contribute to the onset of fibromyalgia. 

Fibromyalgia is linked to chronic childhood trauma, stress and conflict with parents

  Traumatic experiences and stressors in childhood have historically been overlooked as predisposing factors in the development of various chronic pain disorders and psychiatric conditions, including fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and chronic fatigue syndrome.

However, the tide is turning as research is revealing a significant correlation between childhood trauma and adult health. It occasionally feels like we are learning something new about FM on a daily basis. And normally, the major medical developments provide evidence for things that people who are in fact suffering from FM have recognized for a long time. Such as, if you spend an adequate amount of time in the FM community you will hear stories of people who were abused as children. Perhaps you were even a victim yourself.

But while these sorts of stories are widespread, still there has not been much attention drawn to the idea that maybe these 2 problems are connected. But it turns out FM and childhood trauma may be much more closely related than we ever thought. The central nervous system is rapidly evolving through childhood and being accustomed to react to numerous stressors and stimuli that are come across in life.

As an assortment of environmental stimuli are come across, new ways are generated between the cells of the brain in a reaction to each stimulus. Such as, a pleasing experience for instance, a hug from a love one or a sweet food produces ways that teach the brain to react pleasantly to those stimuli. Similarly, a terrifying experience will exercise and create ways that react in fear. This process of producing new pathways in a reaction to stimuli is normally referred to as neuroplasticity.

As we grow older and older, neuroplasticity reduces, meaning it is more challenging to create new ways and adjust the reactions of our brain to stimuli. Kids are at a distinct advantage in handling a high degree of neuroplasticity. Though, this also highlights the significance of providing meaningful stimuli to the evolving brain, to make sure the development of positive pathways. In the presence of a strong support system and short-lived, normal stressors, a child’s trauma reactions are properly buffered and stimulated through supportive relationships.

In this way, optimistic ways are developing in the brain and teaching the nervous system how to properly react to the typical stressors of life. As the brain comes across different stressors, a healthy resilience is constructed so that increasingly traumatic situations are able to be experienced with normal biological reactions. In the absence of supportive interactions or in the presence of long-standing or/and extreme stressors, the stress reaction is inadequately stimulated and may negatively affect the growth of the brain and neurological system.

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As portions of the brain that are accountable for anxiety, fear and impulsive reactions are triggered, neural pathways are established to favor these parts of the brain. Subsequently, parts of the brain that are accountable for planning, reasoning and behavioral control may lack suitable pathways, leading to an inclination toward negative feelings such as depression, anxiety, fear, and panic attacks.

How Childhood Trauma Contributes To Fibromyalgia

Let’s introduce this by saying that childhood trauma will not make you to have FM by itself. No one tells for sure what initiates FM, or what specifically is happening in the body of the one with FM as opposed to someone who does not have the disease. But there does appear to be a mechanism over which traumatic events in your childhood makes you more likely to grow FM. Unfortunately, any idea about what this is specifically is just a theory at this point. Though, a good contestant for this mechanism would be trauma.

The connection between FM and stress is already well known. Stress not only makes the symptoms of FM worse and initiates flare ups, it actually seems to change the way your brain is designed according to the National Institute of Health. So what is the link between childhood trauma and FM? Well, think about it.

We know that stress alters the way your brain works, and who can imagine a more traumatic experience than living with childhood trauma. In any case, that kind of suffering does not stop when you are a child. It attacks you when you are most exposed and your brain is still developing. And then it shadows you for the rest of your life. So basically childhood trauma alters the structure of your brain.

And if FM is a condition that originates in the brain as lots of doctors now believe, then it makes sense that these harmful changes make you more likely to develop FM later in life. But even if FM does not initiate in the brain but in the immune system as some believe, then stress would still account for this mechanism. At this time, particular causes of conditions related with fatigue and chronic pain, like chronic fatigue syndrome and FM, are unidentified; though, just about 2 decades of study has strongly pointed to early childhood stressors as major risk aspects for originating these conditions.

Even though, not every child who has been exposed to traumatic stressors will experience physical and emotional health catastrophes, study has shown that children exposed to long-standing stressors or traumatic events are around three times more expected to experience functional somatic conditions, such as chronic fatigue syndrome, FM , irritable bowel syndrome,  chronic pain and others.

Also, these conditions usually exist with psychiatric conditions like depression and anxiety. The age at which stress or trauma is experienced, its interval, and even the form of trauma doesn’t seem to shift this alarming figure.

What Can You Do?

Considering the increasing occurrence of functional somatic disorders, psychiatric and emotional problems, it is vital to consider the effect of childhood experiences in the growth of these situations. Dwelling upon former trauma is not always useful in supporting healing and health, and may in fact be counterproductive; though, understanding its effect upon health is useful in being able to properly recognize elusive health conditions like FM.

It’s also essential to know for the purpose of protecting future generations from the devastating effects of childhood stressors and trauma. Finally, it works as a good illustration of the success of an efficient medicine approach, which depends on a thorough lifestyle and health history to fabricate the “tale” of an individual’s health and gain insight into the root causes of health issues. One of the most significant thing to do when you are a victim of childhood trauma is to get the appropriate emotional support.

This is never truer than when you are also dealing with FM, which by itself is strongly crippling. See a psychiatrist or look for the support of other people in the FM community. Actually, studies suggest that not only will talk therapy help you deal with the emotional pain, but it can decrease your FM pain too.

The Emotional Causes of Fibromyalgia Syndrome.

Too many people these days are suffering the excruciating symptoms of Fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder characterized by extensive musculoskeletal pain, severe tiredness and troubled sleep. People with Fibromyalgia experience pain in the muscles, ligaments, tendons and other soft fibrous tissues in the body. I have experienced the symptoms of Fibromyalgia for several years.

I have coped to keep my symptoms mostly manageable by means of the healing techniques that I use with my customers. I believe that every disease has an emotional reason. If the emotional reason can be found, the disease can be healed. It has been very challenging to find information on the emotional reasons of Fibromyalgia. I have of late learned some information that has assisted to decrease my pain level and I hope that this information will be helpful to others as well.

Those of us with Fibromyalgia typically lead demanding, motivated, tense and stressful lives. We do not have appropriate boundaries and absence the ability to balance activity with others. Many of us have a tendency to to be a door mat, letting others to step on us. We have a lesser amount of tolerance, or patience, which generates a deep inner pain. This characterizes a suppressed resistance to our conditions, a desire to pull back, as our patience for what is happening, whether in ourselves or in our world, is nearly non-existent. This affects our complete nervous system triggering sleep disorders and pain. The profound tiredness can show a desire to give up, an exhaustion from having to handle or to carry on outside our bounds.

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Fibromyalgia suggests a loss of determination or direction and a loss of essence and spirit. It is as if the longing to contribute and enter into life has worn out, leaving us without purpose or inspiration. Pain can perform as a diversion from dealing with profound emotional pain. Pain limits our movement, yet physical movement allows expression of our emotions.

By not moving, our emotions, the ones demanding to find manifestation through the pain, may become restrained and trapped. Pain can be overwhelming, causing us to lose touch with who we are apart from the pain. It also keeps us from concentrating on matters we would desire not to concentrate on. Muscle pain specifies that psychological pain, such as rage, terror, anxiety, guilt or even self-punishment are being conveyed through the body. It indicates an aching or desire for something or someone.

It can also signify a deep aspiration for movement or modification, but also inner opposition to the movement. Many of the tender spots for Fibromyalgia are positioned on the back. Since our back is out of grasp and out of view, it is the perfect place to hide sentiments or matters that we don’t want to deal with. Since we can’t see them, neither can others. These hidden emotions can include annoyance, terror, exhaustion, guilt or lack of forgiveness. Fear of desertion and being vulnerable can be concealed in the back as well.

Everyone I have talked to with Fibromyalgia described that their symptoms get worse when in demanding conditions. When we are tense, our muscles become tense, which causes the upsurge in pain. When you experience pain, inquire yourself what movement you would actually like to make.

Are there any paybacks from the pain, such as additional attention or not having to do certain things? What are you actually aching for? What does your body require you to do to release the strain? Do you need to shout, cry, alter direction, embrace someone close or shove someone away? Is there something or someone that you have pushed away that you need to recognize and admit? Are you pushing back your feelings? Is something holding you back from moving onward? Are you so eventful dealing with your responsibilities to others that you have little time for yourself? Would you actually like to say to others “Please take care of me, give me some nurturing and love.”? The sleep troubles are connected to problems of Trust.

We need to trust that it is all right and safe to set loose, relax and unwind. We must trust that the world will be normal without us. These are some of the problems I have found that cause the symptoms of Fibromyalgia. I am certain that there are numerous more that I have missed, but this is a good beginning so that each of us can start to heal. There are many methods for healing emotional disease.

The one I practice the most is Spoken Word Healing. Use this method to heal the concerns above which resonate with you and your symptoms. SPOKEN WORD HEALING

This is a healing practice that I formed and have had marvelous benefits from. “I acknowledge my Master Healers for eliminating all causes, signs, symptoms, side-effects, predisposition to and harm from ( negative emotion or issue ) from my entire body on all levels directing it to the Violet Flame for transmutation, substituting it with ( positive emotion or issue )”.

There are two methods you can practice this statement. By means of a pendulum, start it swaying in an anticlockwise direction as you start saying your statement. Carry on to repeating the statement until the pendulum alter to a clockwise direction to let you know the healing or the therapy is complete. You can use your pendulum to understand how regularly you need to do the statement. You can also just repeat the statement numerous times or till you feel it is complete. Typically, you will release a sigh when the energy has shifted.

Also Read:

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References:

• Trauma- How does it relate to fibromyalgia by Jessica Streed Pudicombe. Can Trauma Causes Fibromyalgia by Muneeba Rana, MD.
• National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2005/2014). Excessive Stress Disrupts the Architecture of the Developing Brain: Working Paper 3. Updated Edition. http://www.developingchild.harvard.edu
• The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (2010.) Early Childhood Trauma. Retrieved from http://www.nctsn.org/content/scope-problem Burke, N.N., Finn, D.P., McGuire, B.E., & Roche, M. (2016).
• Psychological stress in early life as a predisposing factor for the development of chronic pain: Clinical and preclinical evidence and neurobiological mechanisms. Journal of Neuroscience Research. doi: 10.1002/jnr.23802.
• Zouikr, I., Bartholomeusz, M. D., & Hodgson, D. M. (2016). Early life programming of pain: focus on neuroimmune to endocrine communication. Journal of Translational Medicine, 14, 123. http://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-016-0879-8
• Afari, N., Ahumada, S. M., Wright, L. J., Mostoufi, S., Golnari, G., Reis, V., & Cuneo, J. G. (2014). Psychological Trauma and Functional Somatic Syndromes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Psychosomatic Medicine, 76(1), 2–11. http://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000010
• Anger and Stress Management Tips for Satisfying Relationships by Dr. Jeanette Raymond, Ph.D.Ref
• Fibromyalgia is Linked to Childhood Stress and Unprocessed Negative Emotions via Losangeles Westside Therapy

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