- Joined
- Dec 2, 2016
- Messages
- 3,191
- Reason
- DX FIBRO
- Diagnosis
- 00/0000
- Country
- US
I do hate how this disease progresses and seems to look for new opportunities to make bad situations worse. I just had my ACL replaced last week. It's painful enough, but we've already determined my pain is much greater thanks to fibro. It has been unbearable at times, and I've always handled pain pretty well. This is the first time in my life that pain caused me to be nauseated.
Fibro mostly affects my upper body - chest, back, arms. I have chronic costochondritis (inflammation of the chest cartilage) that creates constant pain in my chest and shoots lightning bolts across my torso and up and down my arms. I also have arthritis in my ribs (and other joints) that give me daily pain. The fibro takes those pains and magnifies them, rides down my nerves and digs its claws in. Adding insult to injury, I have genetic heart disease and am dying of that disease as it is progressing in my LAD. I've had 3 heart attacks. Think about it. My chest hurts all the time and I get shooting pains down my arms. This causes me a lot of anxiety and depression, as my heart is always the first thing that pops into my head when I feel those things. It's torture. And of course, anxiety can ramp up the fibromyalgia and create more anxiety, which isn't healthy for the heart. It can be a vicious cycle.
Hi Rummy,
Since you know that the anxiety is making the symptoms you have worse, and you are in a vicious cycle, you must break that cycle. I know it's hard. I know it feels impossible at times. But you can. I have suffered from anxiety and panic attacks for a long time. You may not ever be able to stop them from coming but you can change how you deal with them. Learn different ways of responding to your anxiety. Research it, find a bunch of different possibilities, and try them one at a time. Don't expect a quick fix, as I said above to Roxana. But you are the only person who can manage it; unfortunately no one can do it for you. I still have anxiety attacks and the occasional panic attack. But now I know exactly what to do when that happens. I do it, and the anxiety eases off. Not in one minute. Sometimes it takes many minutes. Sometimes it takes an hour. But I can and do manage it with techniques I have learned from my research and then practiced diligently. Easing an anxiety attack even if it takes an hour is better than having anxiety all day.
I strongly suggest you do the same. Learning to manage your anxiety more effectively may also help with your depression, as they feed into each other. Best of luck.