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Fibromyalgia and Depression

© Cynthia Webber (Jausten)

Although I've been on anti-depressants for the past two years, it does not mean that I'm clinically depressed. Sometimes anti-depressants are used in order to reduce the pain of fibromyalgia. But I was assessed by my physician in order to see whether or not I was clinically depressed before I was started on anti-depressants for my fibromyalgia pain levels. If I'd been diagnosed as being clinically depressed, the dosage and type of anti-depressant might have been different.

It is very important to have a good doctor who not only understands fibromyalgia, but also can diagnose a clinical depression from a situational depression. Those of us who are living with constant pain, fatigue, and other related symptoms of FMS can become depressed about our lives and all the changes that we've had to make due to our fibromyalgia. But this does not necessarily mean that we are clinically depressed, and having a good doctor who can differentiate between a true clinical depression and depression due to our FMS is very important for our well-being.

Once it has been established that we do not have a true clinical depression, then we can utilize tools to break out of a depression related to our current life situation. We need to learn how to turn a negative thought or situation into a positive one, and although this can be very difficult when we are dealing with constant pain, it can be done if we make the effort to look at ourselves and our habits and behaviors.

I find that when I get outside and walk for even 30 minutes with my dogs, I feel better emotionally and have less pain. Exercise is important, but we have to remember to pace ourselves and even if it means that we only exercise for five minutes a day, it is better than wallowing in self-pity about our pain and inability to move around as much as we used to do. We are all different and, granted, there are some people with fibromyalgia who can not exercise on a regular basis, but even walking throughout one's home is a form of exercise, and stretching periodically during the day is another easy form of exercise to do.

Lack of sleep can worsen depression, so we need to try to keep regular sleep patterns, and I've found that if I get up in the morning around the same time, I tend to feel better emotionally. Napping during the day is important for our fatigue levels, but too much napping can cause our night sleep to be disrupted, and sleep is very important for helping with the symptoms of fibromyalgia. Some people need sleep medication or anti-depressants which aid in sleep, but it is very important to remember that what works for one person may not work for another. For example, I do not tolerate Elavil or any other medication which is used for sleep, yet I do know of people with FMS who require such medications, and their sleep is improved.