Trying to cope with fibromyalgia

[Affinity]

Funny, I was watching a one hour philosophical dialogue with an awareness-specialist on Tuesday, then yesterday suddenly recognized his name as the author of your book-recommendation: Jon Kabat-Zinn...! I'm sceptical, having been disappointed by "Freedom from Pain" by Peter Levine, it was like: been/am there, done/do that. Maybe I should try it all the same?

Really it's a book about meditation and then stories of people from his workshops who have benefitted from the process even though their outside circumstances haven't changed. It's not so much a way to get rid of pain as it is to be present with it in a way that makes it easier to deal with. I definitely recommend it and the author is a highly respected academic and researcher in this area as well as a practitioner of what he teaches.

 

[Affinity]

Plus if it doesn't help you haven't lost anything ... and if it does help then that opens up more life for living.

 

[JayCS]

Really it's a book about meditation and then stories of people from his workshops who have benefitted from the process even though their outside circumstances haven't changed. It's not so much a way to get rid of pain as it is to be present with it in a way that makes it easier to deal with.

Hi Affinity (still love the name! - I hope you'll be back...) - I've now looked into the book, esp. the practically-oriented first chapters & sort of done a guided meditation by him on youtube. I agree totally with your description. Helpful for people who don't know mindfulness or meditation yet. I do tho and use autogenic training quite often again now, day and night. Also can change the basic attitude to (pained) life, as you say. But as I guessed before, I'm there already too.
(Not saying that I'm out of the predicament... My pains are generally still down, my Ache & sleep fairly under control, but just starting with a few hours of work a week is flaring everything up again. :-( The only last possibility that may fit will probably be acupuncture. Further breathing exercises haven't helped. Going to keep stress down to zero - using even more self-care and mindfulness...)