How to help someone with Fibromylagia?

[winnifred]

What if you have a friend who has been recently diagnosed with Fibromyalgia? What advice can you give as how to help your friend? Any and all suggestions would be of great help to me. Thanks for your input.

 

[1sweed]

Hi and welcome to the forum. The best thing you can do for your friend is continue being a friend. So many of us have lost friends due to our inability to be as active as our friends. Also take time to listen even if it is only complaints that you hear. Most times it is the depression speaking and that is not the time to stop calling or talking with a friend. Understand her pain and read up on fibro and believe your friend even if the symptoms are a bit strange or weird. O'h the stories I could tell. lol

Just be kind and gentle, and tell your friend about this site and how many new coping skills can be learned, as well as, the fact we all understand the symptoms and problems and are very supportive toward one another. Feel free to ask questions and post answers if you have something to share. Invite your friend to join you on the site and you both might learn something and strengthen your friendship at the same time.

 

[GemmaRowlands]

Hi, this is something that I'm actually looking for help with as well. I have a family member who has just been diagnosed, so I came on here with the hope of being able to get in touch with some people who were in the same kind of situation as me. I want to help as much as I can, but I also know that I can't afford to give up work, so I'm hoping that there are other kinds of support that you can get as well. I'm not entirely sure though, so if anybody could give me a little information that would be great!

The best thing that I've found so far is to provide as much emotional support as you can. The doctors deal with the medical side of things, so that's sorted, however your friend/family member still needs to feel "normal" as much as possible, so try and give them that sense of normality.

 

[Trellum]

Hi Winnifred!

The only thing you can do to help your friend right now (in my opinion) is to just stay by his/her side. Try to support your friend as much as you can, because fibro is a really frustrating disease. Sadly there are so many things that are still unknown about this disease... and there are lot doctors out there that don't even think of fibro as a real disease. The first months might be hard for your friend, so the best you can do is to be there for this friend.

It helps a lot having a friend when you go to a doctor appointment, the moral support that provides can help loads!

 

[rollinloud]

I would recommend offering support in the forms of massage, doing light exercises with them like walking, helping them plan out a diet to increase energy and finding them a weed hookup . Really, just ask what you can do to help them handle their pain better. That might end up being "just being there" as a friend to converse or lend an ear during tough times.