Today’s guest post is brought to you by an Anxiety Guru reader named Sue. She has suffered from fibromyalgia and anxiety for over 9 years and was kind enough to share her experience in the hopes of helping someone else.  Do you have a story that you want to share with the Anxiety Guru community? Contact me today and find out how you can help others that need information and guidance.

Good day everyone, and I hope you are doing well. My posting is about my ongoing issues with Fibromyalgia and the anxiety that it creates. For those of you unfamiliar with Fibro, it’s origin is open to some debate, but the results are the same – overwhelming fatigue, muscle aches that can move from place to place on a daily basis, balance problems, digestive disorders, headaches, exercise intolerance, tingling in extremities, anxiety, and a host of other symptoms. It has been called “The Irritable Everything Syndrome”, and I agree.

I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in 2000 after many years of constant colds, flues, ear infections, etc., until finally my body just gave out and I felt awful. I had a car accident in 1993 which seemed to trigger the whole cycle, and to this day I am not a comfortable driver.

As there currently is no treatment for Fibromyalgia, management is the key. I have learned that caffeine makes my ears ring and messes up my balance; wheat and dairy give me digestive fits; poor sleep leads to anxiety and inability to cope with normal day-to-day stuff; too much exercise makes me feel so tired and shaky for several days afterwards; and stress really knocks me out. As a result I have come up with a few coping strategies to help me get through my days.

• Mild exercise like a bit of yoga or walking seems to take the edge off and keeps me moving easier.
• Natural foods like chicken, fish, rice, veggies, fruit and salads seem to make me feel better – no cookies, cake, ice cream, and that kind of food – too many chemicals.
• A multivitamin, with a bit extra vitamin D, Co-enzyme Q10, Omega-3, and some B-vitamins
• No loud movies or computer work in the evening; just a book or some relaxation tapes.
• Help with household chores if you can – I order my groceries online from a local store on days when I just can’t find the energy to get out. I online shop a lot, but only from reputable places.
• On days when I am housebound due to fatigue, I find a good book, take out my crocheting, or just relax with a bit of TV and let my body get better – fighting it only makes it worse.
• On days when I know I have to go out, I try to take it easy and don’t schedule too much.
• Learn how to say ‘no’ – this is probably one of the most important things I have learned. If it is something that I know will take away my valuable energy, and it’s something I really don’t want to do, I just say no.

These are just a few things I do. I found for a long time I pushed myself too hard and ended up having worse days after, so I hope by now I have learned my lesson. I still have a fair bit of anxiety, since I sometimes wake up wondering how I am even going to get out of bed, but I take it slow, and try to do some self talk to encourage myself to keep on moving, like the little engine that could.

I hope all of you “keep on moving”, and I wish you all well.

Sue

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