When I was first diagnosed with fibromyalgia, I was told this is it, expect your health to go downhill and basically told to suck up the fact that I was now going to have to live with this horrible condition for the rest of my life, getting worse as the months go by with no known treatment, except some very harsh medication.

From the minute I was told yes, you have fibromyalgia, I thought that’s it my life is over, I thought I wouldn’t be able to do any of the things I used to do, and it now consisted of being confined to a bed, believing that I had to accept a life of pain because there were “no other options” I’m told It’s a lifelong health condition with no cure and given medication that has more side effects than fibro does.

I have since discovered that you can treat fibromyalgia by using natural methods like diet, targeted supplements and receiving chiropractic treatments. Using a combination of the things mentioned will be beneficial in treating fibromyalgia.

CAUSE OF FIBROMYALGIA

The doctors say we don’t know what causes fibromyalgia, and there is no treatment specifically to treat it. Still, we have had some success with using anti-epilepsy medication and antidepressants. Did you know the number one side effect of antidepressants is suicidal thoughts and tendencies? This is what I really didn’t understand. If you are suffering from depression, which usually results in suicidal thoughts, why would you give a medication that increases it even more? Then on top of it, use a high strength medication like gabapentin that is used to stop people from having epileptic fits! Coincidentally ketogenic diets were first used to treat epilepsy which is why it is perfect for people with fibromyalgia, with no harsh side effects of prescription medication.

I’m told the antidepressants are being given to me because I have a chemical imbalance. I’d like to know what test was ever carried out on someone’s brain to determined if they even have a chemical imbalance? Because no doctor cracked open my skull and had a poke around yet, I’m given some heavy-duty meds for it anyway.

I’ve never been one to accept something as fact without doing any research; it’s like being told a carrot is green. How would you know any different if you had never actually seen one? Do you take the person’s word for it, or do you seek it out and see for yourself?

FIBROMYALGIA SYMPTOMS

There are many symptoms of fibromyalgia, here are just some of them;

• pain
• depression
• insomnia
• headaches
• Brain fog
• fatigue
• numbness and tingling in the hands and feet
• joint stiffness
• fibro fog
• temperature sensitivity
• sensitivity to loud noises or bright lights
• restless leg syndrome

BELIEF SYSTEM

We have been given a belief system that is not even ours and told me I must believe in it 100% and never question it. I’ve never been one for doing as I’m told or following the crowd. My instinct is not to trust anyone or the information I’m given until I’ve extensively researched it myself.

I mean, come on, we were all told for years that father Christmas was real, and if you leave a tooth under your pillow, a little fairy will sneak into your bedroom at night while you’re sleeping, take it from under your pillow and leave some money in its place, absurd right? Yet we never knew to question what we were told because it came from our parents’ a trusted source. These are the people whose word we are supposed to take as gospel. Our parents wouldn’t lie to us and make us believe in something untrue, would they?

We were given our belief system when we were children brainwashed, if you like, into believing in something that, as an adult, you know is absolutely ridiculous! So, could it not be that the information provided to us by some medical professionals could also be wrong? I’m a seeker, and I have to know everything there is to know, and if someone tells me a carrot is green, I will not take their word for it without seeing it for myself.

STAYING POSITIVE

When I was first diagnosed, I joined many support groups all aimed at living with fibromyalgia, desperate for the validation I so desperately needed. I just wanted someone to say I know how you feel and mean it. One of the biggest things I noticed within all of these groups was the constant doom and gloom.

I also found that people in these groups were unwilling to try to get well; I really didn’t understand this. The minute I got my diagnosis, it was all I needed to research and find out what I needed to know. In the beginning, I researched diet and the supplements I would need. I must have spent hundreds of pounds trying different ones until I found ones that worked, yet if I mentioned to the other people in the groups, I was treated like an outcast. Like who was I to dare come along and tell them about something that helped me. It was then I knew that these weren’t support groups at all; they were just a way for people to stay wrapped up in their own self-pity.

I know living with a chronic health condition is terrible. I’ve lived it, I’m still living it, and it sucks! we all want to be able to tell someone I feel like crap today and have them give you some kind words to make you feel better, but I found it was a constant source of wallowing in self-pity with absolutely no motivation to get better. A continuous stream of but my fibro is worse than your fibro because no two people are the same, and my doctor said there is no cure, so you have to accept your life is over and mourn for what you once had.

Support groups are not a healthy environment to be in. Negativity breeds negativity, and it can be highly toxic, not only to your mental health and well being but also your journey to getting well. How can you get well if people are constantly telling you you can’t?

RESEARCH

I have spent hours upon hours researching diet and its impact on fibro symptoms, what natural treatments there are available, and which ones are beneficial for treating fibro. I’ve watched endless hours of videos and read article after article until I knew that what I was told by doctors was not always correct. There are “other options” You can get well, and you can recover somewhat of a normal life again without the need for the medications that come with a list of side effects as long as your arm.

DIET

Personally, I think the first line of defence in treating fibromyalgia is diet! Eating an appropriate diet without all this sugar-laden manufactured and processed stuff that passes for food these days, food that scientists have quite literally created to be addictive.

The second part of treating fibro is turning off the broken stress response using more natural treatments. While doctors will tell you that they don’t know what causes fibro, stress is enormous. We need to learn how to manage our stress levels on a daily basis, taking time out to rest and not feeling guilty about it. You could find a hobby that occupies your mind or even try to do some form of meditation and breathing exercises. I find crafting great for keeping the mind busy, but it is also quite therapeutic and relaxing.

A BODY IN CHAOS

Fibromyalgia is a body that is quite literally stuck in a state of chaos where everything is perceived as a threat, and on top of this, all of our senses are heightened, including taste, smell and hearing. Because of this, we experience a whole host of unwanted symptoms. Things that we would have once found pleasurable get scrambled along the way and turn from pleasure to pain. Even loose clothing feels tight and restrictive. Light touches on your skin feel like you have been poked with an iron rod that’s been in a furnace, and you feel like you are no longer in control of your body.

TREATING FIBROMYALGIA

Treating fibro Is like hard resetting a pc when it freezes by pressing the power button. Think of a fibro body as being frozen and stuck on the blue screen of death. To fix it, we need to switch it off, go into the bios to change a few settings before pressing the reset button, the same with fibro. We just have to change a few of the settings and press the reset button.

I’ve recently started having chiropractic treatment, and I actually felt listened to for the first time in my life. When you have fibro, one of the hardest things to deal with is to feel invalidated and not taken seriously, to be told it’s not real! It’s all in your head! It can’t be that bad. I remember sitting in the surgery with my 2 A4 double-sided list of symptoms and being told that all of those symptoms were because I was depressed, and if I just took these antidepressants, I would be all better. They knew this because all of those symptoms were not real they were just in my head!

I never got that when I sat Infront of my chiropractor, bearing all my vulnerabilities and insecurities. In fact, I got the complete opposite; I got a sympathetic and understanding person who actually listened to what I had to say and then put a plan of action in place to help me, not just handed a prescription along with a speech about ignoring all the horrific side effects of the medication because it can take a few months for it to work and come back and see me in 6 months if nothing has changed.

Do your research find a good chiropractor who is suited to you and your needs. I think I got lucky with mine. After three days of reading reviews, I picked one out, and it just so happens she is absolutely amazing! Not only is she good at what she does she is also experienced with and knowledgeable about fibro too.

The third step in the process of treating fibromyalgia is learning to be kind to yourself; this doesn’t always come easy for me. I beat myself up constantly about things I can’t control, but now I feel more optimistic about the future and every day that passes is another step closer to getting my life back.