The causes of fibromyalgia are unknown, but many sufferers can trace its onset to a significant increase in stress in their life. |
| DO YOU KNOW THIS FEELING OF STRESS? |
Stress can amplify the body’s response, potentially sparking or worsening fibromyalgia symptoms.
In this post, we explore how stress and fibromyalgia intertwine, why their symptoms often overlap, and share four simple strategies—summed up in the acronym SELF (Sleep, Exercise, Leisure, Food)—to help manage stress and improve your quality of life.
Let’s dive into understanding this complex relationship and finding ways to reclaim some calm amidst the storm.
Stress has both a mental and physical response in the body. The stress may be physical trauma to the body like a car accident, an illness or infection or surgery or emotional stress.
Stress can be anything extra in our life - even a good thing - like a birthday, moving to a new home or a wedding.
Fibromyalgia often occurs together with other conditions including hypothyroidism, endometriosis, irritable bowel syndrome and Lyme disease. Obviously, any chronic illness causes stress to the body.
Stress is thought to play a significant role in the development of Fibromyalgia. Apparently, there is a high connection (approximately 42%) between the development of Fibro and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Stress is often described as a feeling of being overwhelmed, worried or run-down. By definition, stress is any uncomfortable “emotional experience accompanied by predictable biochemical, physiological and behavioral changes.” mental, emotional, or physical strain or tension.
Is it Fibromyalgia or is it Stress?
When I looked at a list of how to identify stress it was like reading a list of Fibromyalgia symptoms.
- Psychological Signs
- Inability to concentrate or make simple decisions
- Memory lapses
- Easily distracted
- Less intuitive & creative
- Negative thinking
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Prone to accidents
- Insomnia
- Waking unrefreshed
This really got me thinking. We live with so much stress when we have fibromyalgia or any chronic illness. It's sometimes hard to identify what is stress and what is fibromyalgia, especially when looking at the list above.
The strange thing is that Fibromyalgia impacts a person's mental and physical health, but it is unclear what exactly defines stress and whether or not stress is a cause, an effect, or the process connecting the two. Whatever is true we need some ways to reduce all this stress.
4 simple suggestions to reduce stress
Remember this simple acronym... Remember your SELF:
Sleep, Exercise, Leisure (something fun), and Food.
I found this little suggestion at The Story on Stress
1. Sleep - Your Brain Needs Zzzzzs
Your body and your brain need sleep. Though no one is exactly sure what work the brain does when you're sleeping, some scientists think that the brain sorts through and stores information, replaces chemicals and solves problems while you snooze. Many people with fibromyalgia have sleep issues and need extra support in resolving these.
2. Exercise Feels Good
Exercising can also put you in a better mood. When you exercise, your brain releases chemicals that make you feel happier. It's just another reason why exercise is a good idea! Exercise causes a bit of a conundrum in many people with fibro as we need to find our comfort zone between too much exercise, which can cause a flare of symptoms and not enough exercise.
3. Leisure
Anything that you do for fun is leisure. It could be watching a TV show or walking to the park or even going for a drive in the countryside. Any hobbies you have or things you enjoy are called leisure activities and should help us unwind from the stresses of everyday life. They are also great distractions that can take our mind off our worries, pain or other symptoms.
4. Food
Eating more fruits and vegetables will help you eat fewer calories overall, which helps you keep a healthy weight. Eating fruits and veggies also gives you lots of vitamins and minerals.
These suggestions may seem simplistic, especially when you have so many complex symptoms but any healthy changes we make can have a huge impact on our quality of life. That's what we want when living with fibro... an improvement in the quality of our life.
What do you think about stress and fibromyalgia? Do you think about the stressors in your life or ways to reduce them? Do you think stress may be the cause of your fibro symptoms? Can you trace the cause of your fibromyalgia back to more stress in your life at a certain time?
SOURCES: KidsHealth Seeking Alpha ISMA UK
