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Keeping the Candle from Burning Out

© Cynthia Webber (Jausten)

Many of us with fibromyalgia have tried to burn the candle at both ends in the past, and some of us even continue to try to do it in the present. When we do this, the candle will eventually meet in the middle and totally burn out.

When we push ourselves beyond our physical and emotional limits, we can either shut down emotionally or become physically ill. Our fibromyalgia will flare with an increase in pain and fatigue, and we will possibly become so stressed that our emotions will become raw and out of control.

This recently happened to me, and I lashed out in anger at someone I love very much. I couldn't stop crying for hours, and when I finally did, I spent hours just sleeping. My pain levels were greatly increased, and my fatigue was so great that all I wanted to do was stay in bed. Not only was my body affected, but my emotional state was out of control. Whether the excessive sleeping was due to my fibromyalgia or my emotions doesn't really matter. I had hit my emotional and physical limitations long before I became angry, but I didn't realize it until it was too late.

Thankfully, my relationship with this person has mended, and I've learned a powerful lesson about dealing with emotional issues and how they affect my fibromyalgia.

It is not healthy for any of us to push ourselves so hard in accomplishing a great deal of work, whether we are enjoying it or not. My expectations of myself are much higher than other's expectations of me. Yet, at times, I feel that I am letting people down by being so busy writing, creating web pages and graphics that I don't have time to chat or even do my e-mail on a regular basis.

I cannot take care of myself and the needs of others when I'm physically and emotionally exhausted, and that is what happened to me recently. I had thought that once I accepted my fibromyalgia, I'd learn to pace myself better, but occasionally I still forget that there are limits on my time, energy, and ability to help others.

Burning out due to excessive stress has happened to me before I even developed fibromyalgia, but it seems that I have less reserve now for dealing with crises. A crisis can be either major or minor. Although it was minor in my case, they both can cause a great deal of physical and emotional pain.

The copyright of the article Keeping the Candle from Burning Out in Fibromyalgia is owned by Cynthia Webber (Jausten). Permission to republish Keeping the Candle from Burning Out in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.