It’s tough for you and your friends and family if you’re in chronic pain. This is particularly true if you have an “invisible” condition like fibromyalgia, which is hard for other people to understand. Confused, Forgetful, Can’t concentrate, mixing up your words. 10 million people in the United States with fibromyalgia nag of this cognitive problem including short-term memory loss, usually referred to as “fibro fog” or “brain fog.”
The cause of fibro fog isn’t fully understood. Many believe that it may have to do with fibromyalgia patients’ inability to sleep well. “Therefore they’re chronically fatigued.
A new theory is that when people have fibromyalgia pain parts of their brain do not obtain sufficient oxygen, causing bewilderment or perplexity. The all-over body pain and tiredness from fibromyalgia may be helped with some lifestyle and self-help measures. If you’re not getting the support you need, try one of these tips.
Expand your support system
Even supportive friends can tune you out if you talk about the same pain every day. It almost becomes like a weather report. Instead, share with others. “If you just need to vent or have somebody hear and share, support groups, and online support groups are for. Fibrotalk has an online forum. The National Fibromyalgia Association and endfatigue.com both have support group directories.
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Remove yourself emotionally from stressful situations
Sometimes, people magnify problems, making them seem far greater than they are. The stress reaction is triggered by perception. When you imagine something to be a “life or death situation”, even though in reality it is not, your body reacts as if you are in danger. Work at tempering your emotions as problems come up during the day. Instead of seeing every crisis as a disaster, learn to view life’s interruptions as “inconvenient, but tolerable.” You will find that when you see life as something that you can effortlessly handle, you will not feel conquered when problem comes.
Share your knowledge
Nothing hurts more than to have someone dismiss your pain or treat you with skepticism and resentment if, for example, you can’t clean the house the way you used to. Unfortunately, it happens. If he or she is agreeable, bring that person along to your doctor’s visits. Talk beforehand about the questions you both might want to ask and the issues you’d like to discuss. Be sure to write them down before you go.
Make modifications at work
To keep working part-time or full-time, you must stay mentally and physically able to handle your job responsibilities. To avoid stress and anxiety, you may need to allow more time during the day to fully carry out your responsibilities Talk to your employer and work out a flexible schedule that allows you to come in later and leave later. Or ask your employer if you can work from home one or two mornings a week so you can get more rest. Instead, ask if you could take a rest at lunch-time to increase your energy. Whatever modifications you make, avoid procrastination. Budget your time, follow your daily “To Do” lists, and limit your outside commitments on work days.
Don’t be afraid to walk away
While we cannot walk away from every situation we face in our life, we can develop the skill of “walking away” emotionally so that we find a more balanced attitude about daily tasks and situations. When you feel poorly, it tends to wear on your body and emotions until every circumstance in a day can appear insurmountable and loom over you. It becomes easy to magnify problems–making them seem far greater than they are.
Reaction to stress is triggered by perception. When you imagine something to be a “life or death situation,” (even though in reality it is not) your body reacts as if you are in danger. Work at tempering your emotions as troubles come up right through the day. Instead of seeing every crisis as a disaster, learn to view life’s interruptions as “inconvenient, but tolerable.” You will find that when you look at life as something that you can handle, you will not feel overpowered when trouble comes.
The familiar adage asks the question “how do you eat an elephant?” The answer of course “one bite at a time,” If you can keep balanced emotionally through the situations, tasks, and activities of your day by breaking them up into smaller “bites,” you can walk away from those emotions that try to overpower you.
Find a new doc if necessary
Its bad news if a relative doesn’t have your back, but unacceptable if your doctor doesn’t. Supporting chronically ill patients is one of the most important functions of a primary care doctor. Patients demand for a primary care doctor, one that has both the character and the practice setup that allows for the time to help a patient who’s dealing with chronic sickness. If you’re not happy, ask around.
Learn to say no
Failing to set private limits or saying “yes” to too many demands will put you in burden. That will add to your already elevated stress level. To facilitate yourself say “no” to a convincing friend, think through the condition before you respond. Check your diary, and weigh up the alternatives. Engage family members or friends in the debate about what to do. Would another commitment stop you from getting the rest, exercise, and relaxation you need to feel well? Would it interfere with the priorities that are high on your list? The desire to help others is commendable, but being all things to all people may hinder your healing and make you feel resentful, tired, and depressed. It is important to take a firm stand, so say “no”, and mean it.
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