01/24/2025
As someone who has had fibromyalgia for 15+ years I would have never guessed and certainly didn’t realize that it was caused by unresolved trauma from my youth.
When I visited a rheumatologist a couple of years ago he told me several things I’ll never forget. At the time my symptoms had gotten so bad that I was using a cane to walk and every step was excruciating. My body hurt nonstop to the point that we considered that it might have been lupus based on some irregular bloodwork and the symptoms I was experiencing at the time.
He told me the good news was I didn’t have lupus. And then came the bad news. The bad news was, I didn’t have lupus. Lupus was a very treatable disease after all and fibromyalgia was not so much. He explained that the constant pain was from the brain being on a pain loop that stemmed from some unresolved trauma.
I did and still do have unresolved trauma that I am working through. But until I ‘break’ the loop and heal from my trauma, the cycle will continue. He also recommended the usual suspects of exercise, yoga and a Mediterranean diet.
The last thing he told me has been the hardest advice to follow. He told me to be kinder to myself. To love myself. To give myself grace. Anyone who has suffered from a mental disorder such as cPTSD, Bipolar, or ADHD (as I do), knows how hard that can be. Something so simple yet it’s so hard to put into practice.
So yes, if you continue to push down your emotions, they will most certainly manifest as symptoms, whether it’s fibromyalgia, headaches, anxiety, panic attacks and so on.
Be kind to yourself….. Always. 🫶🪷
