Is fibromyalgia 'only in your head'?

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MariaB

21/04/2021 at 18:06

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MariaB

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Hello all, I just had the strangest experience and I had to come on here to see what you all think.

We just moved house this month so I went to see my new GP in our new area. I told him that I had fibromyalgia and he went off on a long thing saying that fibromyalgia is purely psychological and that it is due to psychological shock or trauma experienced in life.

I have never heard that in my life and needless to say I will be changing GPs! Have any of you ever heard anything like that? I know from my experience it took me a while to get diagnosed and to get my doctors to really look at my symptoms but I've never been told that fibro isn't real! 😱

What do you all think?

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Courtney_J

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21/04/2021 at 18:34

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Courtney_J

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Hello @MariaB‍, thank you for opening this topic. I'm sorry to hear you had such a negative experience with your GP! I hope you'll be able to find a more understanding doctor soon!

Has anyone else heard or been told that your fibromyalgia is "in your head"? What do you think? Do you think there's a psychological aspect to fibromyalgia?
@Robatkins‍ @Suzanne37‍ @libra98uk‍ @Suzhannah‍ @EmaCov‍ @Beyondwords_uk‍ @EstelleM‍ @Sukiyakiuk‍ @Armenianchick‍ @popsicles‍ @Simonr3585‍ @Kaz1960‍ @katie6262‍ @tiggyb‍ @LaurieLee‍ @petere‍ @happyhippygirl‍

Feel free to share your thoughts here!

Take care,
Courtney

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Courtney_J, Community Manager, Carenity UK

Is fibromyalgia 'only in your head'? https://www.carenity.co.uk/forum/other-discussions/living-with-fibromyalgia/fibromyalgia-and-psychology-4123 2021-04-21 18:34:52

Robatkins

21/04/2021 at 18:44

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Robatkins

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@Courtney_J I do know that when my anxiety and depression is bad my Fibro gets a lot worse so I do wonder if there is a connection to the mind and Fibro but I don't think it is the main course. I just wish I could learn to manage it better.

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Rob

Is fibromyalgia 'only in your head'? https://www.carenity.co.uk/forum/other-discussions/living-with-fibromyalgia/fibromyalgia-and-psychology-4123 2021-04-21 18:44:19

Suzhannah

22/04/2021 at 13:06

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Suzhannah

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Please read about SOPHIA MIRZA on Google & Wikipedia

Long story short The first person in the United Kingdom to have CFS thats chronic fatigue syndrome the diagnosis for Fibromyalgia & Myalgic Encephalomylitis (ME) before they became accepted and stopped psychiatrists from branding sufferers with a 'it's all in their head' style of treatment

Thank god for Sophia & her mother for bringing attention to the way patients were handled pre 2007 - appallingly by the psychiatric field

Even her own constant carer her mum whose sanity was called into question at the horrific treatment of her daughter One psychiatrist even wrote let's lock up mother and daughter Beggers belief doesn't it

But yes please if you suffer from Fibromyalgia or ME and/or chronic fatigue syndrome Read Sophia Mirza's history as it paved the way for us all to be BELIEVED

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Suzanne

Is fibromyalgia 'only in your head'? https://www.carenity.co.uk/forum/other-discussions/living-with-fibromyalgia/fibromyalgia-and-psychology-4123 2021-04-22 13:06:08

popsicles

22/04/2021 at 18:49

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popsicles

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Hi I've never heard of the story of Sophie Mirza before,, i'll have a read later tonight. It wasn't my GP that thought it was all in my head, I did. I was always feeling crap excuse the expression 🤣 with one thing or another, I've always got sore feet and didn't know why or what to do. I ended up wearing sketchers all the time and it was bliss. If it wasn't my feet it was my knees and I hobbled for the first few steps then normal,

I heard a work colleague saying nasty things about me, i wasn't too sure if I was meant to hear her, Oh I sure did. She was saying, watch her (me) she's sitting down and when she gets up she limps then she must forget as walks normal. She'll ask someone to tie case papers together tight mmmm why can't she. Some days she's good others she's not, or so she says, it's when she can go to the shop for redbull, no bad, we aren't allowed. (I lived on Redbull most days to keep me awake) She said I must be a hypochondriac!! The more she said the angrier she got. Wow I was gobsmacked and totally shocked

Is fibromyalgia 'only in your head'? https://www.carenity.co.uk/forum/other-discussions/living-with-fibromyalgia/fibromyalgia-and-psychology-4123 2021-04-22 18:49:05

Robatkins

23/04/2021 at 10:03

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Robatkins

Last activity on 23/08/2021 at 12:49

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I have a neighbour very similar to that she is always saying you "don't look ill so what's wrong with you today then" I've tried to explain to her what's wrong with me but she doesn't really want to know. I said to her one day would she be happier if I wore a cast on my arm so she could see my problem. But she just carried on as normal. It hurts so much when people think it's made up and just for attention. They don't see the hurt they course us on top of everything else we have to live with.

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Rob

Is fibromyalgia 'only in your head'? https://www.carenity.co.uk/forum/other-discussions/living-with-fibromyalgia/fibromyalgia-and-psychology-4123 2021-04-23 10:03:29

Suzhannah

23/04/2021 at 10:33

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Suzhannah

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It is incredibly hard with what many term 'invisible illness'

Especially when you have good days n bad

This is my reply when morons say

YOU DONT LOOK ILL

YEAH WELL YOU DONT LOOK STUPID, BUT LOOKS CAN DECEIVE EH

And then head high walk away xxxxx

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Suzanne

Is fibromyalgia 'only in your head'? https://www.carenity.co.uk/forum/other-discussions/living-with-fibromyalgia/fibromyalgia-and-psychology-4123 2021-04-23 10:33:43

Robatkins

24/04/2021 at 12:04

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Robatkins

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Lol thank you you have made me smile I will have to remember that for next time

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Rob

Is fibromyalgia 'only in your head'? https://www.carenity.co.uk/forum/other-discussions/living-with-fibromyalgia/fibromyalgia-and-psychology-4123 2021-04-24 12:04:11

Bebbabe53

11/05/2021 at 11:51

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Bebbabe53

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@Robatkins Now that one I like!! I'm usually left gobsmacked at how small-minded some thoughtless people can be. But next time, God forbid there is one, I'll have a really great come back to hand. Thank you!

Is fibromyalgia 'only in your head'? https://www.carenity.co.uk/forum/other-discussions/living-with-fibromyalgia/fibromyalgia-and-psychology-4123 2021-05-11 11:51:58

Neil1964

12/05/2021 at 22:30

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Neil1964

Last activity on 07/12/2023 at 21:33

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change doctors

Is fibromyalgia 'only in your head'? https://www.carenity.co.uk/forum/other-discussions/living-with-fibromyalgia/fibromyalgia-and-psychology-4123 2021-05-12 22:30:43

Rozanne

17/05/2021 at 23:12

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Rozanne

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Spoke to the Dr from the CFS/ME clinic for the first time today and she told me my fibromyalgia was brought on by trauma.

I do think there is a link in that when I am in major pain my mental health goes on a downward spiral. I don't feel that my mental health affects my symptoms as much as the other way around.

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Rose

Is fibromyalgia 'only in your head'? https://www.carenity.co.uk/forum/other-discussions/living-with-fibromyalgia/fibromyalgia-and-psychology-4123 2021-05-17 23:12:09

Is fibromyalgia 'only in your head'?

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