Family Friends Support
Fibromyalgia: An “Invisible” Disability
“You look fine….” Such words are usually intended as a compliment. Sometimes they provide reassurance. But they can also produce confused feelings when someone is silently suffering. This problem is not unique to fibromyalgia. Parallels are easily drawn with other conditions with controversial diagnoses and uncertain cause, such as chronic fatigue syndrome, posttraumatic stress disorder, and premenstrual syndrome.
Caregivers Surviving Winter Flare-ups
January is over and February is trudging along. And every day seems like it is never going to end! Winters can seem to go on forever in some parts of the country, and when our kids are sick, as so many are right now, the days are counted in minutes not hours. Sleep deprived parents are staying up to comfort sleep deprived youth through the wee hours of the morning. And we are all feeling that helpless loss we must reconcile ourselves to, when no matter what we do, it doesn’t help.
Witch or Martyr?? How to Live with Others
One of the greatest challenges of chronic pain is finding ways to live with others. Sometimes it seems more comforting to stay home alone, where we can relax, tend to our aches, set our own pace, and control our total environment. This would free us from having to explain, apologize, look odd, or feel guilty about the things we have difficulty contending with
“Nobody Understands!”
Many of us often think with dismay that “nobody knows what we are going through.” This is probably correct. The casual observer is unlikely to perceive the depth of our pain or fatigue through our behavior or appearance. And our friends, try as they may, often feel confused by our seemingly strange array of complaints.
