Never underestimate the power of
I have seen first hand how I have become crippled by stress, unable to focus, increased pain, and nearly bedridden for weeks at a time. I have lost and gained weight. I have alienated people and lost all interest in things. I have even seen a decline in cognitive skills when stress had been at all time high. Recently the fibro symptoms have been getting worse. Because I have been exercising and eating right, I of course blame the changing of the seasons because, as we know, for many of us winter is the WORST. The cold kills me.
I dispute anyone who tries to debunk that fact, and PLEAD for more research to be done in that area!
Well, I have just relieved myself of a stressful situation recently, and at first thought it I was just doing something good to relieve my intellectual battles. I was very aware that the constant state of frustration was making me crazy. But I noticed today as I became empowered to take a trip to NH (I'm in Mass) and visit an old friend, had the energy to do dishes and some other housework and organizing...that I just felt great. Better. I felt 20 pounds lighter and like a great burden had been lifted.
Albeit it may come back for other reasons, such is the nature of Fibro and CFS. But it was slowly taking its toll on my body, and I did not even notice.It was not enough to be a direct slap in the face or cripple me on the couch..but it was slowly sucking the life out of me. I was moving slower and slower, feeling older and weaker.
When I said 2 days ago "I'm done"....Poof! Gone!
Like magic!
Stress kills, cripples, changes who are and who you can be. Find ways to avoid it, relieve it, remove and reduce it from your daily life. It will only make you worse and I know you do not want to feel worse. Some of us really cannot carry any more on our shoulders than we already do.
Hang in there!
Much Love
Dawn
I've been realizing this so much, as well. I had been doing so well I decided to go back to school, then I got this job writing for fatigue.answers.com at the same time. It was so much to adjust to. On top of that I'd had another commitment that I ended up firing myself from and was dealing with guilt over that, plus stress of being pulled in so many different directions and then the old demons returned, fatigue, pain, stress. Luckily, I realized what was going on and therefore have been very proactive about trying to find new ways to cope so that I can better handle all the things. Coping is a rather over-looked skill and I think that with Fibro our "fight or flight" sensors are on such high alert that a little extra stress really messes with us and activates them further.
ReplyDeleteI agree. It creeps up slowly and before you know it you are overwhelmed. I was in the midst of this offered to write for an online magazine as well, but declined because the commitment was too great and I knew what would happen. I do hope I find something similar with fewer page commitments per month. My fight kicks in a lot more than my flight and as a result I wear myself down from seeing I should be slowing down soon enough most of the time. Its a learning process for sure.
ReplyDeleteThis is my biggest challenge. I've been stressed out for so long, I don't know how to live without it. That sounds crazy, but it's true. I'm really bad at over-committing myself. Now that I have fibromyalgia, I'm being forced to learn how to recognize when I'm stressed and get rid of it immediately. My body is so sensitive to it now, that the least little thing just floors me. Like you said, though, it's amazing how certain new pains and issues just disappear simply by getting rid of situations (or people) that are causing you stress.
ReplyDelete