Life stresses and anxiety...could this be a cause for our fibromyalgia?

[sunkacola]

Jemima, just so you know, posting any outside link at all is not permitted in this forum, so that post of yours from earlier will not appear.

Also want to say thanks for all the insight and encouragement you bring to these forums.

 

[Little Debbie]

Thank you djhsix for the suggestion When The Body Says No, and will definitely check it out. My therapist and the book, The Body Keeps The Score, explains that when you experience trauma, especially abuse at young age, war, rape, your brain changes, BUT it can be undone. My therapist has experienced this firsthand & I’m praying I can too. Lots of work & discipline ahead which I’m not real good at or sure how it’s going to play out. I’ve told ONLY her a few of the big things I’ve been through or remembered.

take care of you (everyone!)!

 

[Jemima]

Jemima, just so you know, posting any outside link at all is not permitted in this forum, so that post of yours from earlier will not appear.

Also want to say thanks for all the insight and encouragement you bring to these forums.

Thank you - I completely understand. And thank you too, for everything you do here! It seems that putting energy into positivity - especially supporting other people - is a great way to turn a personal burden into a tool. Worth a try. Feels like the only thing to do!

 

[sunkacola]

Thank you djhsix for the suggestion When The Body Says No, and will definitely check it out. My therapist and the book, The Body Keeps The Score, explains that when you experience trauma, especially abuse at young age, war, rape, your brain changes, BUT it can be undone. My therapist has experienced this firsthand & I’m praying I can too. Lots of work & discipline ahead which I’m not real good at or sure how it’s going to play out. I’ve told ONLY her a few of the big things I’ve been through or remembered.

take care of you (everyone!)!

The human brain is an amazing thing.
The scientific reports I have read say that the brain actually does change physically as a result of trauma that is repeated or that covers a long period of time. These physical changes then affect how the brain works in the future. This is on top of the non-physical psychological effects and survival strategies that the subconscious mind puts into place. So you have both physical and psychological changes and damage to deal with.

But as you say, Little Debbie, this can actually be reversed. If the brain can make physical changes one time in one way, it can later make other changes in order to work a different way. This has actually been proven with studies using MRIs.

It's not easy and of course doesn't happen rapidly, but it can be done. It's hard work but all along the way to that you will experience small triumphs, big accomplishments, and amazing victories and insights. If you have a good therapist, you can do it.

I have faith in the power of the human mind to change things within the mind and body, when given the right opportunity to do it. You need to feel safe, and have good guidance, even more than you need self discipline.

Little Debbie, I have faith that you can do it. You can. The fact that you have decided to do it is the most important thing, and I wish you all the best in your efforts.

 

[Little Debbie]

Thank you so much Sunkacola for your kind words. It means a lot. The you only thing I would change is the brain can change after only one event of trauma and not necessarily repeatedly or long-term. I know the different things of what happened to me (so far from what I can remember) but suppressed some of it due to denial, embarrassment, self-blame, ashamed. It’s SO hard to come to terms & accept it (still working on this part), and I’ve only said it out loud to my therapist recently. It has shaped my entire life & I’m in my 50s now. That’s all I’m able to say right now . Thanks for listening. Love to all, hang in there fibro warriors

 

[Little Debbie]

Also, the brain “remembers/records” everything from the beginning whether we consciously remember them or not, it shapes us from the beginning. Amazing & scary at the same time

 

[sunkacola]

Also, the brain “remembers/records” everything from the beginning whether we consciously remember them or not, it shapes us from the beginning. Amazing & scary at the same time

You are right....it can change with one incident if that incident is strong enough.
I applaud you for having the immense courage that it takes to deal with your past and the things that happened to you.
That feeling of shame is a huge one. Huge. And for the most part we have nothing to be ashamed of, as we did not do it or cause it, but it's there for any of a number of reasons.

While I have never forgotten any of it, so I never had to recover memories, it took me a long time to come to terms with it because I insisted to myself and anyone else that I was strong and it had not affected my life.
It wasn't until I happened to pick up a book in a bookstore that it changed. I opened the book at random and the page had a list of things that a person could manifest years later as a result of XYZ , which had happened to me. Out of 20 I could check 17. That was a real wakeup call for me, but it still took time for me to get into therapy and work on it. I am glad I did because although some of the effects will always be there, they are now more like scars than open wounds and do not affect every day of my life. As hard as it was, and scary, it was worth doing the work.
Best of luck to you.

 

[Little Debbie]

Thank you for all of that info and all of your kind words and encouragement. Glad you found your way to peace! Yes, not looking forward to what I have to accept & work on, BUT very much looking forward to peace, less pain, and all the other weird symptoms!

just curious if you could forward the name of the book and/or the list that you mentioned, but that might not be something you’re comfortable with. If so, I understand. ;-)

 

[sunkacola]

Thank you for all of that info and all of your kind words and encouragement. Glad you found your way to peace! Yes, not looking forward to what I have to accept & work on, BUT very much looking forward to peace, less pain, and all the other weird symptoms!

just curious if you could forward the name of the book and/or the list that you mentioned, but that might not be something you’re comfortable with. If so, I understand. ;-)

Oh gosh, I wish that I could tell you the name of that book. But that incident was quite a few years ago now and I never did buy the book or read it, so I do not remember. I can definitely remember most if not all of the things on that list, though, if you want me to. Send me a private if you do and I will reply.

Also just want to say, I hope very much that you have a therapist you can really relate to and most of all feel safe with. Mine started out at the first with "what do you need to feel safe?' and we never proceeded until I did feel safe. We started every session with a check in about my feeling safe. You cannot do this work unless you feel you can trust the therapist and feel safe in the environment, because the whole problem was caused by something that was most definitely not safe. Being able to work with all of it in a safe container is what makes it possible. I hope you have a great therapist!