Fibromyalgia and Anxiety
In this video our new vlogger Codie shares her tips for coping with fibromyalgia and its good friend, anxiety.
Watch the video above to hear Codie’s thoughts, or read the written summary below.
I suffer with both anxiety and fibromyalgia, and for me, the two are so intrinsically linked that sometimes I'm not really sure which condition is causing me problems.
During a flare-up of my fibromyalgia I feel anxious, wondering whether I'm going to be able to carry on and how I'm going to control the pain. That anxiety can present itself in physical ways, therefore aggravating my fibro — and it spirals into a horrible circle of doom.
Even on “good days,” I'm always anxious and worried about the next flare-up, and trying to make sure I'm not overdoing it.
What Helps?
If you also suffer with fibro, chances are you’re familiar with anxiety. After all, it's a very stressful condition to deal with. So, what can you do to juggle both conditions so they don’t aggravate each other?
Communication
For me, I find communication is key, so I try to be as open with the people I deal with in a day-to-day basis as I can.
I make sure my partner, my family and the people I work with know how I'm feeling, so I know they'll give me a bit of leeway.
For example, if I suffer from some fibro fog and forget something, I know that they know why, which in turn helps my anxiety because I know that they’ll have at least some understanding.
Self Care
The other really important thing is self care, whatever that means for you personally. So rest, eat well, exercise — do whatever you need to do to feel your best, and don't feel guilty about it, ever.
Make sure you pay attention to both your fibro and your anxiety, which will hopefully help to ease the symptoms of both conditions.
It's difficult, but take time to discover what helps you, be it baths, coloring, yoga, breathing exercises, counseling, chocolate cake… You do you, unashamedly.
