Letting Go: How to Live with Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a great example of a condition that can seriously impact the way all activities are carried out on a daily basis. However, with the correct mindset, people can easily overcome a situation, no matter how difficult may seem.

In many cases, people do not have a positive attitude with their symptoms, as they are often feel defeated and sometimes, the fatigue is hard to fight off. But, looking for more reliable treatments can help alleviate the discomfort they feel. While experiencing fibromyalgia, it may be easier to deal with the chronic and widespread pain if the patient lets go of negative thoughts and ideas. With a negative outlook, it can trigger depression and other negative feelings that help toxins stay in the human body and worsen the symptoms that they feel.

Of course, the fibromyalgia community has patients going through difficult times, constantly having to face a relapse, or a flare-up, of symptoms. But, finding an emotional balance is essential when having to overcome their situation and keeping their head up. Such is the case of Dr. Barbara Keddy, who is a professor and writer at the School of Nursing at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada. She has lived with fibromyalgia since she was younger, with more than 40 years with the condition.

In order to help those with fibromyalgia (mostly women) confront their disease with a positive attitude, Barbara Keddy wrote this book called “Women and Fibromyalgia: Living with an Invisible Dis-ease.” However, this is not the first time Barbara decided to take on this topic, since most of her professional career has focused on women’s health and other social interest issues.

The premise of the book

According to the critics, the main purpose of this book is to show how letting go helps release certain images and emotions and even fears or disappointments from the past that bind the spirit and do not let people progress and face difficult situations with an adequate attitude.

It is not a new idea. This premise of “treating pain without using drugs” is not a new topic for medicine researchers since happiness and many things related to it, such as laughing or spending a time with someone appreciated, have demonstrated to have wonderful effects by helping people produce the endorphins needed to have their defences up. The truth is that treating conditions with drug-free options has become a reality that many people prefer. And, this is exactly what this book aims to discuss.

Regarding how effective this “healing method” has proved to be throughout time, it is important to mention that complementing a great attitude with physical activities that help clear one’s mind is probably the best option to overcome difficult times when symptoms are nearly impossible to stand. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (commonly abbreviated as CBT), practicing yoga or meditating are some of the activities that have shown very positive results on patients suffering from fibromyalgia and other similar conditions.

Traditional methods such as massage therapies, putting on superficial heat or chiropractic manipulation help alleviate the intensity of the symptoms felt as well. All these can be excellent allies for anyone suffering from fibromyalgia.

The reality of alternative methods

The author does not limit herself to traditional methods, referring to other alternatives such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy as an excellent way to help patients restructure their thoughts and letting go those bad feelings that are giving rise among unpleasant symptoms. Looking for ways to treat problems such as chronic anxiety and others that have been demonstrated to lead people to fibromyalgia is essential when trying to find a definite solution for mindset problems that boost symptoms of the disease similar to it. Even studies related to the elasticity of the brain (neuroplasticity) and how it can be molded to one’s needs is an interesting topic to investigate when looking for an alternative treatment.

Other approaches such as yoga, Tai Chi and what is called walking mindfulness, have proved to be simple strategies to help people feel better. These kinds of approaches accompanied by mild exercise can turn into immediate changes on how the affected person feels, making remarkable modifications to the brain and helping them replace pain, fatigue and all thoughts related to negative symptoms for something better and more liberating.

Logosynthesis is another popular approach that focuses on modifying the brain in order to get over a difficult trauma. Although this mechanism requires a lot of discipline and people may take more time to achieve it perfectly, it may be quite beneficial for people looking to attack the problem of having a hyper-aroused central nervous system. Depending on how people feel and what they think about this, they will choose what fits them and their lifestyles better.

Accessibility of this treatment

Probably one of the most remarkable advantages of these strategies are that they are impressively affordable compared to expensive drugs that trigger different side effects. It is also worth mentioning that other techniques that focus more on “body work” instead of seeking mental clarity can also be expensive and are not intended to change the brain, at least not directly. Nevertheless, for some people, traumas and negative thoughts that they retain in their minds are part of something bigger that do not let them overcome the situation in a proper way. The author insists that people must do what they have to do in order to heal oneself and focus on letting the traumatic thoughts go away, saying no to problems such as stress and anxiety is an important step in the right direction when looking to learn how to live with fibromyalgia.

It is also important to spot how stressful daily life can be and why it is so important to control every aspect of life in order to prevent them from affecting their attitude regarding fibromyalgia symptoms. For example, one can only imagine how much stress someone like Lady Gaga has during her daily routine, as the standards of her career do not let her properly manage her symptoms. So, it's important to remain involved in certain activities to help control your symptoms and giving it the proper amount of attention and discipline it requires.