Abuse: A Proposed Cause of FMS?

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LovelyChantel

Active member
Joined
Mar 23, 2015
Messages
34
Reason
DX FIBRO
Diagnosis
01/2015
Country
US
State
AK
I have been reading countless material that points towards abuse (which I have endured from infancy until 21 - sexual abuse/multiple r*pes, severe psychological/verbal/emotional abuse, and severe physical abuse) as a cause of FMS. I think I can vouch for that. I have many other disorders as a result of the adverse experiences that I've endured. I also read that these disorders (especially PTSD and MDD) are commonly connected with FMS.

I have been diagnosed with C-PTSD (complex post traumatic stress disorder) and MDD (major depressive disorder) as well as many other psych disorders and also have GERD and Reynaud's which seems to be linked with FMS as well. This just can't all be a coincidence.

Does anyone else have a history of abuse and have FMS/CFS? If you don't want to say I COMPLETELY understand. I'm just curious and trying to better understand this stuff. It's really tiring and any/all input is greatly appreciated.

Does anyone have any input on maybe other causes of FMS as well? Thanks.
 
Hi Chantel. Nice to meet you.
As someone who has not experienced those tragedies, I don't know that I would be any help.
It may be a touchy subject for some I'm sure.
But, it sounds like u r struggling with a lot and I hope u find good help.
I always remember the serenity prayer.
One day at a time girl, and remember u r not alone.
 
Hi Chantel. Nice to meet you.
As someone who has not experienced those tragedies, I don't know that I would be any help.
It may be a touchy subject for some I'm sure.
But, it sounds like u r struggling with a lot and I hope u find good help.
I always remember the serenity prayer.
One day at a time girl, and remember u r not alone.

Thank you so much for your input. It truly means so much. I'm aware it's a touchy subject and I understand it's difficult to talk about. Anyway, thanks for the support.
 
Hi, I'm juli. I too was abused, in all aspects of the word. I also suffer from PTSD and Dissociative Identity Disorder, major depression....kinda like you.
I also have read they are linked. I was just diagnosed with Fibro so still reading.
Not sure if others have had trauma or not but I find it interesting.
 
Hi. I'm really glad to see this topic posted. I have also been wondering this exact same thing. My girlfriend suffers from severe GAD(anxiety) BPD (borderline personality disorder) and BP2 (bipolar type2) as well as severe Fibromyalgia and Sjogrens Syndrome. She had the cognitive disorders for much longer than Fibro, which has developed and worsened over the past five or so years. Her Fibro has now become pretty crippling and makes it difficult for her to have a normal life. So... She suffered some really traumatic sexual and physical abuse as a teenager, including a violent rape. I can't help but wonder if it's possible that all her conditions are connected in some way. Is it possible that the PTSD from these traumas she endured as a teenager have triggered all these different conditions from which she now suffers? I know many doctors have suggested links between Fibro and Anxiety, and not just that having Fibro makes you anxious, more that many women who developed Fibro have suffered with anxiety or other similar cognitive disorders (Depression, PTSD etc.) for years before the onset of Fibro. Her condition is becoming a pretty serious physical handicap and she is in constant severe pain. At this point I'm just looking into anything that can help her, and I can't help but see it as a really (impossible?) incredible coincidence that she has suffered this abuse as a teen, developed these cognitive disorders shortly after the abuse, and then as an adult developed these physical conditions which have such a close (and seemingly inexplicable?) relationship with the cognitive disorder. Thank you. I'm sorry for what you have endured. Please advise if you have any information regarding this matter. Blessings
 
Hi, I'm juli. I too was abused, in all aspects of the word. I also suffer from PTSD and Dissociative Identity Disorder, major depression....kinda like you.
I also have read they are linked. I was just diagnosed with Fibro so still reading.
Not sure if others have had trauma or not but I find it interesting.

Hello, might be short reply. Bad bad pain day for us here. I also have "Others" as I call them. But we are rather blended (always have been) and haven't received any formal diagnosis. But my T says its okay to acknowledge they are there and not 'need' a diagnosis. She is more into "treating and not labeling" as she puts it. And I think I'm okay with that. :)

The abuse that happened to me, well it wa messed up. It was bad. I'm sorry you understand this. I'm sorry you relate but it's nice to know I'm not alone.
 
Hi. I'm really glad to see this topic posted. I have also been wondering this exact same thing. My girlfriend suffers from severe GAD(anxiety) BPD (borderline personality disorder) and BP2 (bipolar type2) as well as severe Fibromyalgia and Sjogrens Syndrome. She had the cognitive disorders for much longer than Fibro, which has developed and worsened over the past five or so years. Her Fibro has now become pretty crippling and makes it difficult for her to have a normal life. So... She suffered some really traumatic sexual and physical abuse as a teenager, including a violent rape. I can't help but wonder if it's possible that all her conditions are connected in some way. Is it possible that the PTSD from these traumas she endured as a teenager have triggered all these different conditions from which she now suffers? I know many doctors have suggested links between Fibro and Anxiety, and not just that having Fibro makes you anxious, more that many women who developed Fibro have suffered with anxiety or other similar cognitive disorders (Depression, PTSD etc.) for years before the onset of Fibro. Her condition is becoming a pretty serious physical handicap and she is in constant severe pain. At this point I'm just looking into anything that can help her, and I can't help but see it as a really (impossible?) incredible coincidence that she has suffered this abuse as a teen, developed these cognitive disorders shortly after the abuse, and then as an adult developed these physical conditions which have such a close (and seemingly inexplicable?) relationship with the cognitive disorder. Thank you. I'm sorry for what you have endured. Please advise if you have any information regarding this matter. Blessings

Yes hello, I'm sorry for what she is going through. Today has been a very bad pain day here. It's debilitating at times. Yes abuse seems to oftentimes be a cause. I can share links with you I think? I have had some every brutal assaults/tortures and it plays a huge toll on the psyche. I'm supporting her and you. Here are the links. And thank you for your support and kindness.


This one might now apply to her. This is about complex childhood trauma. Hers wasn't necessarily in early childhood (or maybe it was as well as teenage years?) and this may also apply to her more so. But I think it could help either way. It also talks somewhat about chronic pain/Fibro symptoms.

Wishing the best wishes. :) LINKS NOT ALLOWED!
 
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Too bad it wouldn't allow those links. I was really curious to see what they had to say. It really hurts to think that all her/your health problems could be the result of psychological trauma caused at the hands of another person. But I guess the important thing is trying to heal and recover. I've been wondering about hypnosis as a way to get to the core of the PTSD and undo some of the damage. I can't help wondering if somehow the original trauma could be healed, like removing an infected sliver and that would allow the rest of the conditions to gradually fade away. I know that's pretty hopeful and probably not very realistic, but hope never hurts anything.
 
hi! my name is kieran and i am also an abuse survivor.
i have borderline personality disorder, c-ptsd, and bipolar i disorder with psychosis, and fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue is a possibility as well as rheumatoid arthritis.

i was sexually abused repeatedly as a child and raped in high school as well as sexually abused by multiple partners in my teenage years. at around age sixteen (im almost twenty) i started noticing that i was constantly in pain and very tired. at first i thought it was just my mental illness, but i was put on medication that helped my mood but didnt help the pain and fatigue, and i was diagnosed with fibromyalgia at age eighteen.

i often wonder if fibromyalgia, in at least my case, could be a result of internalized stress doing harm on the body? i didnt tell anyone about the abuse until all of it had ended, but in the meantime i was very stressed and upset and im wondering if internalizing that stress might have caused my fibro.
 
Too bad it wouldn't allow those links. I was really curious to see what they had to say. It really hurts to think that all her/your health problems could be the result of psychological trauma caused at the hands of another person. But I guess the important thing is trying to heal and recover. I've been wondering about hypnosis as a way to get to the core of the PTSD and undo some of the damage. I can't help wondering if somehow the original trauma could be healed, like removing an infected sliver and that would allow the rest of the conditions to gradually fade away. I know that's pretty hopeful and probably not very realistic, but hope never hurts anything.

Yes they are very good links. I'm sorry that I couldn't share the links. You might not be able to read the exact links (it took me a while to find these links). They're really in-depth. But I'm sure you can find really good information yourself. Google a search for "abuse" "fibromyalgia" "trauma/abuse effects of health and mind". Or other keywords like that. I am wishing you the best.
 
hi! my name is kieran and i am also an abuse survivor.
i have borderline personality disorder, c-ptsd, and bipolar i disorder with psychosis, and fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue is a possibility as well as rheumatoid arthritis.

i was sexually abused repeatedly as a child and raped in high school as well as sexually abused by multiple partners in my teenage years. at around age sixteen (im almost twenty) i started noticing that i was constantly in pain and very tired. at first i thought it was just my mental illness, but i was put on medication that helped my mood but didnt help the pain and fatigue, and i was diagnosed with fibromyalgia at age eighteen.

i often wonder if fibromyalgia, in at least my case, could be a result of internalized stress doing harm on the body? i didnt tell anyone about the abuse until all of it had ended, but in the meantime i was very stressed and upset and im wondering if internalizing that stress might have caused my fibro.

I'm sorry to hear what has happened to you. I'm sorry to hear about your pain issues. Your abuse past could very well be playing a role in your Fibro/CFS. I know that mine has had a huge impact on me. Supporting you 100%. :)
 
Kieran thank you for sharing your experience. I certainly think your Fibromyalgia could be linked to abuse and the subsequent BPD, PTSD etc. that followed. As I start learning about others who have endured similar experiences, it does seem like your situation is not uncommon. I'm still learning about all of this but I'm starting to see a pattern emerging with women who suffered from abuse, particularly sexual abuse during the formative years, developed personality and mood disorders and years later developed Fibromyalgia. You should know that you are not alone and there are other women who are suffering through similar situations. As I learn more about this I will continue to post my findings. Hang in there and try to remain optimistic. If your fibromyalgia is in fact caused by PTSD then perhaps as you work through the PTSD your physical symptoms may also lessen. Much love and support.
 
thank you! although i am not a woman, i identify as transgender and genderqueer/nonbinary. but i do recognize that many people with fibromyalgia are women and that might be why there was misunderstanding (i also didnt specify my gender, which likely didnt help).
 
I no there so many kinds of abuse we can suffer. And sadly as many know it can give u many problems ,I'd have to say though that there's many ppl out there who have never had abuse and still have fibro.xx
 
I started a thread about the function of the hippocampus, which also relates to this topic and traumatic amnesia. Any info you have would be useful.
 
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