“We must cultivate the courage to look deeply, with clarity and courage, into our own suffering”, Peter A. Levine Dr. Levine is the world’s leading expert on the study of stress physiology. I began reading his works years ago when my physiotherapist suggested Waking the Tiger and I have not looked back since. His theories resonate with me. It was in 1969 when he began his work on the mind/body healing approach which developed when…
Mental Illness
Explore mental illness, its common symptoms, causes, and treatment options. Learn how to support mental health and seek help when needed.
AFFLICTED…Netflix documentary reviewed
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear”, Mark Twain I have watched all episodes of the documentary Afflicted on Netflix. My mind is reeling and disturbed. I am hoping that by writing this blog I can begin to piece together my thoughts which to this point are rambling and disjointed. I have heard from one reader who has said there is a group who is writing to ask Netflix to…
Fibromyalgia: ANXIETY- PANIC ATTACKS
” PTSD is similar to Panic Attacks in that once turned on, the anxiety is fed into a vicious cycle”, David Yeung Anxiety, depression, and panic attacks are triplets. They live together and feed on one another. The sources of these three demons are usually childhood experience, past trauma, and family history. While panic attacks are extreme episodes of anxiety and are relatively common in the general population, their frequency of them is noteworthy in those of…
Is Fibromyalgia a ‘Psychosomatic’ Disorder?
” Trust one who has gone through it”, Virgil Writing those words is psychosomatic, in fact, even thinking about the title makes me feel uncomfortable! Who wants to be labeled as one whose pain is thought to be “JUST in your head” implying it is not real? But, before we go off into a tailspin about that specific demeaning-sounding word, I should begin by saying what I now believe psychosomatic to mean. It certainly does not suggest that those…
Fibromyalgia and Other Pains: Living with Anxiety and Apprehension
“It’s not the load that breaks you down, it’s the way you carry it”, Lena Horne HAPPY THANKSGIVING WEEKEND! We Canadians are always so happy our Thanksgiving falls in mid-October when it’s harvest time; the leaves are gorgeous and in full color and if we cook a turkey it is still a long way till Christmas and we can enjoy another one before the year ends without being tired of it! What we also love is that…
Fibromyalgia: An argument against being mentally ‘ill’
” My friend…care for your psyche…know thyself, for once we know ourselves, we may learn how to care for ourselves”, Socrates Fibromyalgia does not allow for any kind of scientific tests to aid in making the diagnosis of the syndrome. It is not a disease, but a broad spectrum of ‘symptoms’ which appear to be somewhat universal, that is, primarily pain, chronic fatigue, sleeplessness, and often depression, but always present as chronic anxiety. Click Here…
Fibromyalgia and Trauma Memory
” Most of us have unhealthy thoughts and emotions that have either developed as a result of trauma or hardships in their childhood, or the way they were raised”, Steven Seagal It would seem that those of us with fibromyalgia have developed the condition at an early age which may have taken a tremendous shock, accident, or crisis to bring about full-blown fibromyalgia. Some of us have had repeated crises in our sensitive lives and…
Fibromyalgia Symptoms & Mental Health
Have you ever looked at a list of Fibromyalgia symptoms? Looking at these two websites you will see both anxiety and depression listed as symptoms. Here are two reputable websites as proof: Chronic Illness and Chronic Woman In fact, it seems that fibromyalgia symptoms and mental health are very much linked together. One could say that fibromyalgia is like a spider web, with so many facets (co-morbid conditions) moving out from the center. Our Mission:…
Why is it that every sufferer that I’ve met that has fibromyalgia also has a controlling personality or bipolar problem, including me?
Multiple doctors have told me I very likely have fibromyalgia (but my mother never took me to a rheumatologist), and I would say that I only am controlling to protect myself from being harmed… So I am not officially diagnosed, but doctors have told me I likely have it, as in a neurologist, psychiatrist, and a family practitioner. A physical therapist named Marcos who is not an MD, but knows my family, also told me he…
When did you realize that your symptoms were all due to Fibromyalgia?
In addition to chronic pain throughout my body, I am always tired. Sometimes I am so tired that my husband has to help me up the stairs and into bed. Then, every day around 3:00 – give or take a half an hour – I have to try to live with fibro fog. It’s actually what it sounds like. In the late afternoons, it feels like someone has pulled a gauze bag over my head.…