Welcome to the fibromyalgia series ~ 28 posts in 28 days
What is the purpose of fibromyalgia 28 days?
- To help you understand your experiences of fibromyalgia.
- To show you there is a way forward.
- To share actionable and practical skills and strategies with you.
There are a few givens:
- Your pain and symptoms are real.
- Fibromyalgia is not psychological just because tests do not ‘show anything’.
- Pain and symptoms can and do change.
- There is great hope.
- It starts by understanding your experiences and how your body systems generate them — then the possibilities and way forward appears.
An important insight to bear in mind: impermanence.
This is a Buddhist tenet and very practical.
It means that each moment is new and different.
Each experience is new and different.
This is despite it appearing to be the same, or your inner narrative saying, “It is the same”.
The same is impossible.
Similar, yes. The same, no.
Change is happening all the time. This is life.
Life is only possible because each moment is new.
Whatever you are feeling and thinking right now, it will change.
Would you like more control over this to steer yourself towards a better life?
There are many skills and strategies that can help you.
I will be sharing skills and strategies in this series based on Pain Coaching sessions with people I see face to face and online.
Online is very popular now because it is so convenient and we do the same work together as face to face.
Common symptoms of fibromyalgia
Symptoms are not discrete. They often come together in their own way, and not in a particular pattern.
The ones people often tell me about are:
- widespread pain ~ varying locations, nature and intensity
- body tenderness
- aching
- sleep disturbance
- fatigue
- difficulty concentrating
- memory lapses
- hard to focus
- brain fog
- headaches
- sensitive stomach
- low mood
- anxiety
- low motivation
- feeling overwhelmed
- sensitivity
Diagnosis
As with any condition, fibromyalgia must be diagnosed by a healthcare professional who understands it.
Some people want a diagnosis because it appears to offer an explanation. It is something to hang your hat on, or tell people.
- But then what?
- What do you do?
- What is helpful for you?
People I see tell me that they have looked fibromyalgia up on the internet once they have the diagnosis.
Much is written about it online, but you don’t know what is accurate and true.
A great deal of what is posted about pain and fibromyalgia is out-dated or wrong, meaning you can easily head down the wrong path because of wrong beliefs.
In Fibromyalgia 28 days, I will clear this up for you.
Share
Fibromyalgia 28 days is something to share.
To share with your family and friends to help them understand.
To share with your healthcare provider.
The more people understand, the more the focus can be on the skills and strategies that help you get the results you want.
Where to start?
When I first meet someone, I want to know about them and their experiences.
We have an in-depth conversation.
To clarify. To connect. To collaborate.
Only then can I help them understand what is happening and share what we can do together.
The focus is on the person.
You.
Yours needs and aspirations.
Your picture of success and the steps to take in that direction.
- What is your picture of success?
- What are you working towards?
- What small steps (they are always small) are you taking each day?
If you haven’t yet done this as an exercise to get a direction, you may like to do that now.
Your picture of success (goals, aspirations) includes all different things you want to do and paints a picture of the life you want.
.
.
.
Now, here’s the important bit.
This is your direction. It is not how things are now.
It is very easy to get caught up in what you want and how you want things to be, and suffer.
Because this is not how it is now.
You are not there yet.
Yet.
Will you definitely get there?
No-one can say because no-one knows the future.
Are you much more likely to get there is you have a clear direction and focus on the best step to take right now? Yes, of course.
Can you make things better? Yes. There are many ways life can improve.
Understanding and overcoming any form of chronic or persistent pain is a journey. It is learning and growth.
You don’t need fixing and no-one can take the steps for you.
You can do it with the right guidance and encouragement.
You have the strengths as you will see. You have the capability to make life better and reconnect with what matters.
You know what matters and what you want to do.
But perhaps you don’t know how. That is really common.
The know-how is the key.
That’s the essence of Pain Coaching.
So, thanks for reading. I hope you find the series useful.
Do feedback and comment as that is really helpful.
I have put some resources below.
Thank you very much.
See you tomorrow.
r.s.
Resources
🚀 What is Pain Coaching? https://richmondstace.com/what-is-pain-coaching-for-chronic-pain/
⚡️ About Richmond: https://richmondstace.com/about/
🚚 Richmond’s daily deliveries to understand and overcome pain: https://open.substack.com/pub/richmondstace
📖 Richmond’s book: https://amzn.eu/d/hJm0hdG
🎥 Pain in the Person ~ a short film: https://youtu.be/zidJbZHEGzM
🎙️ Podcast: https://youtu.be/nEa3UHb0Gos?si=QZuvP9541jzLz0UT