How do fibro affect your social interactions.

[Yatte]

Since my diagnosis with Ulcerative Colitis ( I know its is not fibro, but I have noticed since I started posting here that I have similar symptoms as some of you guys do with fibro), my social interactions with people have become quite limited. I prefer to stay at home and rather spend time with my family than to go visiting friends.

I only kept a few of my real true friends, those I have known for years and trust completely. The rest I let go. They just seem to add extra baggage, and this made me sicker. I know letting friends go are cruel, but in this battle it is all about self preservation. If having less friends equals a better quality of life why not?

How have your social interactions changed since your diagnosis?

 

[Ruby]

Hi Yatte,
I've always been on the reclusive side, but I think it's because I've suffered from the pain for years. I wasn't officially diagnosed with Fibro until about 2 years ago, but I've noticed that I prefer to avoid social situations the majority of the time. I'm usually not feeling great and being around a lot of people just seems to create even more exhaustion. I've never been one to have lots of acquaintances, and prefer my few choice close friends. I don't feel you did anything cruel by letting so called friends go. Having a handful of really close people in your life is far more valuable in my opinion than a bunch of individuals that do not know you so well. I choose quality of quantity when it comes to those I love and hold dear. Those are the people that will understand if you're not feeling well and up to going out.

Cheers,
Ruby

 

[Cynder]

I've never liked social situations, have always had social anxiety... so I prefer being alone, with my dogs, my husband, or some very few friends. I think having a few close friends is just fine.

 

[BrendaMarie]

I rarely leave the house anymore and I'm not even 40. Whenever I do go out I get so anxious it's ridiculous. As such, I really don't have any friends but my pets, my parents and my daughter.

 

[1sweed]

I don't really care for social events or parties. Mostly, people are talking about things that I find to be boring or spending time getting drunk. I like being alone and doing my own thing, but am willing to go out to lunch with a friend or go shopping once in a while.

I spend time reading and watching movies, I like photography and walking in the woods. Birdwatching and being artistic with painting and other artwork. I think I have always been a bit of a loner, but still think having a good kind man in my life would be icing on the cake.

Social situations are ok, but it takes a lot of effort to go and sit and talk about stuff that is so far beyond anything I care about, that I would drather of just stayed home.

 

[twiztc]

I don't much care for situations where alcohol is involved. Not because I feel left out but I just don't have much tolerance for drunk people, but I do love family gatherings.
My family are so sweet. One Easter we all got together and after a couple hours I was in watching TV with my two neices and conked out in the chair. They just tiptoed out and closed the door so the rowdiness in the other room wouldn't wake me. I felt so embarrassed for having fell asleep though.

 

[Moxie]

I think that living with the sort of issues that fibro causes (whether it's fibro or not) causes us to evaluate what is important to us. Our free time is very precious to us, so I don't see any point in wasting it on anyone that I would say causes me undue stress, or adds extra baggage.

I've found, since this all started, that I don't go out nearly as much as I used to, but I still manage to get out to sing karaoke now and then. I don't drink as often as I used to because I've found that even one drink that I have when I'm not feeling 100% can trigger either my anxiety, or a host of pain and lethargy the next day, and not in the normal hang-over way. Sometimes, though, I let myself if I feel strong, and at those times I don't usually have any bad reactions.

I feel that I am lucky because the friends I had before all of this set in are pretty much the same group of friends that I have now. The lion's share of them have always been very supportive and inquisitive, and have also gone out of their way to bring the functions to me. They've also gone out of their way to choose things to do that I'm more willing to try on a bad day, like board game parties and such, and never give me flak if I have to cancel at the last minute. Without my friends I feel that I'd be a great candidate for depression, but with their help I've managed to keep it off my list of symptoms.

I was scared to death of trying to date after my ex and I split up, but last year in September I joined a D and D group that some friends of mine are in, and since December I've been dating the DM (I won't bore you with how the game works, lol). He has been incredibly supportive, and has probably done as much research on what to expect from fibro in the past 3 months as I have in the entire time I've been diagnosed >XD

I think the key with social interactions is to make sure you have a supportive network of people that you trust with sharing your diagnosis and who accept your limitations, and to always forgive yourself and not feel as though you are a burden. Past that, doing whatever YOU feel comfortable doing is the key. If you wanna stay in, stay in! If you wanna try to go out, go out! You can always leave early if it's a failure, but if you are a "social butterfly" like I've always been not going out for fear of... anything... can end up leading to some negative thinking patterns.

All of that being said, I'd like to stress that I do not think that everyone needs to be social. I just feel that everyone should search for ways to accommodate their own desires.