So my GP referred me to psychology as he believes it can help fibromyalgia
Attended yesterday and scored 6/10 for traumatic experiences. Yes we know trauma causes or can start fibromyalgia!! So why then did I have to talk about it for an hour!!
Guess what? Fibromyalgia flare today! Thanks Psychologists.... don’t think I will be back.
Twinks
Oh dear....hope you're okay. I'm not a fan of psychological approaches...it's like shifting the blame on 'us' for thinking 'incorrectly' about stuff x
Thanks Kookee
I am SO angry, I was doing SO well too. Was getting good at pacing and saying no to folk.
I know it’s not psychological it’s like it creeps in your blood to make you feel hellish! I don’t think I will be going back to be honest.
I don’t know if anyone else has had good results from psychology?
Twinks x
You have to do what feels right for you. I just kind of felt it was patronising and simplistic when I tried CBT. It worked okay years ago for anxiety, but not for fibro or low mood. I think it does work for some and apparently it depends how good the practioner is. It would be interesting to hear what others think...xx
Yes, "incorrect thoughts"!!! Infuriating.
I would disagree with it being blame on you and having "incorrect thoughts".
We are conditioned throughout life to respond to things a certain way, and that may have been super useful and worked well for a period of time but now those thoughts are no longer an effective way of dealing with something.
Since we're conditioned to think that way, we have to completely re-learn new ideas. Even if they seem obvious to us, it doesn't mean we actually apply them ourselves to situations.
This work is really really hard! We have to teach the brain to have new automatic reactions, and we can only do that with time and effort and unfortunately for everyone involved, pain. 😭
Just noticing our reaction to a situation and acknowledging it is a huge step in the right direction and these things take TIME.
(I speak as someone who just went through 12 months' psychodynamic therapy and then experienced a whole new trauma causing this flare up!) I thought I had the new tools to do life and now the ones I've JUST LEARNT don't work.
I also speak as an ex- psychologist and neuroscientist (prior to illness).
Please don't give up on the psychological aspect. It literally controls everything, it hurts because the subconscious pain you experience every day is being bought to consciousness to actually be addressed. Think of it like knowing you have woodworm in your house - just because you don't see the damage doesn't mean it's not being caused. Whereas if you take off some plaster to see the woodworm you can treat it and stop it spreading.
Make sense?
Sorry for my essay, I'm just passionate and trying to be helpful!
Xx
It really does take time, and as you say it’s hard work...... on my next visit I’m begining to learn how to get my head and body working together? In other words listen to my body more!! When I have a good day I tend to think I can clean cupboards out etc, catch up on jobs that need doing which lays me up for 2-3 days full of pain! What I should be doing is pacing myself, 1hr work 15mins break, scan your body if it’s hurting stop if it’s not to bad continue at that pace for no more than 3 hrs. There’s always another day!
It’s not giving in it’s being kind to yourself x
It doesn’t work for everyone, people think differently and sometimes these things aren’t helpful if your mind doesn’t work that way. But then I’ve not had good experiences with that kind of thing so I’m biased. Don’t bother going back if it makes you feel worse, look at other options that might be helpful for you.
I’m with you—- I don’t think going over and over past trauma helps. I’ve tried to process the loss I suffered that I believe triggered the fibro, I don’t want to explain it any more, especially to someone I don’t know. I use relaxation hypnotherapy on YouTube —- Michael Sealey is very good.
Don’t let this bad experience set you back. Whoever you saw might think they know fibro, but they don’t know what it is to be you and live with fibro. You’re the expert on that. Put the person you saw in a box marked “smug pr***” “idiot of the day” —any words of your choosing, and leave them there.
Hi Twinks. You are my first contact and know what,,we could be twins!!! Had exactly the same as you and I could cry for you as I cried for myself. Their conclusion as follows. " well we opened your file today and afraid we are closing it as well. Can't see we will be of any help to you"
I left in a state of not really understanding what had happened after an hour of interogation. So the Senior Consultant at the Berks Rheumatology reccomends along with pain relief i need CBT. Better close now as I could go on for hours. Best wishes to all you brave people out there. BoohPear.
I was advised to do cbt I did it online I could not take it in I lost concentration I know why I’m depressed it’s due to being in constant pain and exhaustion all our strength goes into getting through a day the best we can doctors have so much to learn. I have found out more about fibromyalgia, emotions and everything else that goes hand in hand by reading posts on here from all you lovely warriors than I could ever learn off a doctor they may be well educated in medicine but unless they are suffering with it they really don’t have a clue do they xx
Hi Twinks123
God they make you feel like it’s “all in your head don’t they?”
I go to a Fibro support group & they have a Facebook page too & they posted a few weeks back about a recent study that showed that CBT & GERT are NOT effective for Fibro sufferers ! I’ll try & find it & post a link
Big hugs - hope the flare calms down soon xx
Hi, I’ve been going to see a Dr of psychology who deals mainly with with Fibro. It’s great to find someone who understands and accepts what your symptoms are, I’ve been seeing her for about 4 months, I’m now going once a month. Yes it’s hard and after visits I’ve been awful just like you? She found I have PTSD, so having to go back to childhood and all the c..p from adult life wasn’t pleasant, it’s not going to be but she has made me look at things differently, it doesn’t make the fibro go away neither does it eliminate the past but it helps you deal with things, that said I still have really bad days but now I recognise why and accept that’s how it is.
She said if more GPs understood Fibro the first port of call would be to mental health services, Psychology.
If you can give it a chance go with it, am so glad I have.
Good Luck x
Your very welcome, make sure you take plenty of tissues, Don’t think I stoped crying for the first few times!! That’s good though but so tiring and painful......actually it’s been about 6 months I’ve been going, it’s gone very quick but at times that hour felt like a week! I have to say with someone who specialises in it it’s easy to talk because she knows all the symptoms you go through.
Again good luck x
Read a paper about 5 years back,, I think it was BMJ and the conclusion was that CBT was of extremely limited value in Fibromyalgia.
I should have a copy of it on my other computer, sadly it has been quite sick for a while and I have not been able to get it fired up.
Rather like myself !
Best Wishes, Ray
Hi. I was sent to a double appointment. Physio and Psycho at the same time. An hour of them bouncing questions rapidly at me and asking me to answer questions and not elaborate !!!! The final question " And are you having suicidal thoughts". Well I could of done if I didn't get out of there fast.. Anyway they decided my case was opened and closed same day as they couldn't see that they could offer any help so passed back to lack of care from naff doc. And I'm not going near another one. My furbaby is my therapist, we look after each other. 😽
Hi the same happened to me I was told that I needed long term counciling I was referred to the mental health team they wrote back and said I didn't meet there criteria so now I'm just left out there with no help it's a nightmare x
Hi yes a real nightmare. I found out when trying to claim for DLA or PIP, that on the evaluation from Psych. I had said that I i enjoy shopping and that my friend gets me out and about a bit!!!!! I had told them I shop on line Amazon mostly,even for panty liners as I can't go out alone due to bad balance and falling. I said I am taken twice a month to Asda to shop but end up sitting in car while my friend shops for me due to 15 minute drive which is more than enough as of course we have to go back as well. Sitting in the car hurts my back,bottom of spine etc. Well that did me no favours at all and now I'm looking into Industrial injuries. I'm so fed up I'm on 3rd day flare up now.😿xx
I know how you feel I can't get the medication right yet it's all trying what helps and most makes me feel sick all the time I walk with a frame I still can't get pip disability it's all beyond me I'm sick of fighting x
Gentle hugs to you x
I know it's all such hard work to try to get anything going the right way for you. I could see by the dates my report was given 3weeks after seeing me and the difference in their report to what I said makes all the difference plus as I said in an earlier post my case was opened and closed on the same day. She said she could offer nothing of any benefit so there you go. It's all so depressing. Why oh why is there such little care for fibro, all they seem to say is, yes there's a lot being diagnosed with this now!!!! 😽xx
Yes I know it really is such hard work we are all fighting to feel normal again I miss my old self being a carer I was all ways on the now all I want to do is sleep which all I have done today x
Yes just about the same as me then. Well I wish you all the best i really do and let's hope they can find some meds to help you. You've certainly had a lot on your plate so as to speak. You take great care now. Be thinking of you 😽xx
And you too take care 😸X
Hi twinks,
Look into All pain to go. Also EMDR for addressing trauma issues.
My daughter didactic All pain to go therapy for me and it deletes pain memory.
The pain I have is only current and it has really reduced my pain levels. ( she is a practitioner in hypno therapy, to name just one of her skills)
It may or may not help you but worth a try?
Jan xx
Thank you so much Jan. I will do that x
I personally don't find pain relief from therapy but I think everyone should go and have good chats just so you have an impersonal outlook on your life. Sometimes I'm so wrapped up in what's going on that I miss something obvious. That and quite frankly being so ill causes me so much stress since it is currently affecting me so greatly and makes me rely on others in my life I don't want to burden with my limitations, especially as they have enough of their own. You really do need to have a good rapport with your therapist though or it just causes more problems.
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