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Taking Charge of Your Fibromyalgia

© Cynthia Webber (Jausten)

Having a knowledgeable and supportive physician, plus other professional health care workers is very important for our daily living with fibromyalgia. Because most of us with FMS look better than we feel, it is sometimes difficult to obtain the support that we need. We can empower ourselves through our own research into this baffling chronic condition, but having a strong support system is essential for our emotional health.

Just being believed that we are in a great deal of pain, and not having health care professionals just dismiss us and assume that it is all in our heads, is a necessary goal to obtain. In order to be taken seriously, we must become assertive with our needs. Being treated as though we are mentally ill or hysterical isn't what we need. We are not mentally ill or hysterical, and if a health professional assumes that, then it is the wrong person for us to be seeing.

We can begin with our physicians, and if we are not supported by them, then it is time to change doctors. Not all doctors are knowledgeable about fibromyalgia, but finding one through friends,who also have FMS, or even making an appointment with a new doctor and interviewing him/her is a very important first step to take in order for us to take charge of our fibromyalgia.

Depending upon our physicians to meet all of our physical and emotional needs is unrealistic. We need to find support from our pharmacists, physical therapists, or any other professionals that we see on a regular basis for our fibromyalgia.

Most pharmacists are willing to explain medications and possible side-effects, and if they don't freely offer information, then we can either ask or find another pharmacy. Physical therapists and massage therapists need to be chosen with our fibromyalgia being the main concern. Even if we are seeing one for other reasons, we need to make sure that they also have a good knowledge base of FMS.

Some physicians and pharmacists are concerned with drug addiction, and may not give us the needed medications to relieve our pain. Recent findings have shown that people with chronic pain do not become addicted, but even if we become dependent upon a particular medication for pain relief, does it really matter? Having quality of life is more important than just existing and being in excruciating pain each day.

Educating ourselves via books or the internet is the only way to gain solid knowledge. Learning to do our own research rather than depending upon others to tell us how to cope with fibromyalgia is a responsibility that we need to learn to take seriously.

The copyright of the article Taking Charge of Your Fibromyalgia in Fibromyalgia is owned by Cynthia Webber (Jausten). Permission to republish Taking Charge of Your Fibromyalgia in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.