13 Mistakes Fibromyalgia Patients Make

9.Not exploring alternatives

 

What’s considered an alternative treatment in conventional medicine may not be for fibromyalgia.

For instance, Dr. Baethge says, “Yoga is not considered an alternative treatment for fibromyalgia. We use stretching exercises as a mainstay of therapy.”

Learning how to relieve stress through meditation, biofeedback techniques, or Tai chi, a Chinese martial art, can also be helpful. Check out the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine for more on Tai chi.

8.Sticking with the wrong doctor

 

Believe it or not, there are physicians out there who still think that fibromyalgia patients are making up the symptoms, probably because there’s so little known about the condition.

Needless to say, this kind of doc isn’t going to explore all the options for your care. Don’t be afraid to switch if you think you may be seeing one of them.

Look for a specialist, such as a rheumatologist, who focuses on fibromyalgia. The Co-Cure Project has a list of patient-recommended docs by state.

7.Denying that you’re sick

 

Many patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia will visit one physician after another trying to find a different opinion.

By all means, get a second opinion. But refusing to accept the diagnosis after a second, third, or fourth opinion means you’re losing precious time, which could be spent learning about and managing the condition.

Dr. Baethge recommends reading all you can about fibromyalgia. “Education is key,” he says.

6.Not enlisting family support

Ask for the support of your spouse, parents, siblings, and children, but do it with open eyes.

“Family interaction can be good or bad. It depends on how understanding the family is,” Dr. Baethge says. “A lot of times people get upset because their spouse or family doesn’t understand what they’re going through.”

The cure for this: Direct family members to any of a number of websites that can explain the disease, such as the National Fibromyalgia Association, the Mayo Clinic, and the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center.

5.Not reaching out to others

 

“Everybody needs a friend they can talk to about their illness,” Dr. Baethge says.

Support groups can be helpful too.

Find a local chapter of the National Fibromyalgia Association or check out one of many online sites geared to help those with fibromyalgia.

4.Not talking about it

 

You may be sick of thinking and talking about your pain and, unfortunately, you might feel like your doctor, your family, and even friends are sick of it too.

But clamming up isn’t necessarily your best bet.

You can talk about fibromyalgia pain in a way that can benefit not only you but also others with the same condition: by becoming an advocate for a fibromyalgia organization.

3.Feeling guilty

 

Don’t beat yourself up about being depressed, angry, frustrated, or scared.

“It’s reasonable to become depressed,” says Dr. Baethge. “Any normal person who hurts all the time is going to feel that way.”

And feeling guilty on top of being depressed is simply going to make the pain worse, he adds.

2.Letting fibromyalgia get to you

 

As with any chronic illness, there will be days when you feel down, maybe even way down. Finding activities you enjoy will bring balance and joy to your life.

“Learning to do things takes your mind off the pain,” Dr. Baethge says. “This tends to be better than sitting at home moping.”

Many people have found that attending church, spending more time with a grandchild, or picking up a new hobby can help.

1.Taking life too seriously

 

“Humor is important,” Dr. Baethge says. “Do things that make you laugh or smile.”

That could be as simple as watching a DVD that’s funny.

And if your pain prevents you from sitting through the entire show, watch it till you laugh, then pause it.