Day 203 - The Scary Statistic that We Must Rise Above

This next paragraph is part of an article posted on the Fibro and Fatigue Center Website in January...

...Danish Researchers recently reported that women with Fibromyalgia have a ten-fold increased risk of  suicide. Alongside the physical burden of chronic pain and debilitating exhaustion, sufferers cope with other losses that often accompany this syndrome: loss of self-esteem, loss of activity, loss of identity, disruptions in primary relationships, loss of motivation, loss of mental acuity, loss of job, loss of hope. The impact of FM/CFS on a life can be devastating. It’s important to be sensitive to this. If you or someone you care for is experiencing suicidal thoughts, Please seek help...

That is some pretty serious stuff. I have been blessed with an optimistic personality and I think that my innate optimism prevents me from visiting the depths of despair experienced by some who suffer with fibro. The list of losses in that article is certainly significant and can feel overwhelming. I believe that it is in my best interest to focus on what I still have, what I can do and what is still possible in my life. It takes emotional effort and focus to stay above the negative self chatter and to put it in its place. It does me no good to only see my losses. I do understand how some folks can become overwhelmed to the point of feeling hopeless. Life can be enormously challenging even without dealing with a condition like fibro.

The last line of the paragraph makes sense. "Please seek help." People would if they could. I think that the scarcity of medical support, treatment and understanding tops the list of why fibro sufferers become frustrated, discouraged and eventually pessimistic and hopeless. How many more stories do we need to hear about how a doctor shamed us, dismissed us or didn't take our symptoms seriously? It's one thing when your neighbor makes an insensitive remark that basically tells you to get over yourself, you don't look sick, But what about when it's your doctor saying that to you? It is not too much to ask, that the medical community is at least sensitive and supportive, even if they are not sure how to treat our symptoms. There may not be clear cut answers yet about what manages fibro best, but we all have to keep our optimism, create a support system, and hope for a better day ahead.