by Miryam Williamson
Not at all. Judith Curren's suicide is an indictment of that part of the health care system to which she had access--and I'm not talking about Dr. Kevorkian, who assisted her. This woman sought the help of many physicians, one of whom seems to have recognized fibromyalgia but apparently didn't suggest the proper course of treatment. The others took the "it's all in your head" approach so familiar to most people with fibromyalgia, particularly if they are women.
Curren's doctors gave her drugs--apparently large quantities of antidepressants, painkillers, narcotics--but apparently none talked to her about the importance of nutrition, or about how essential it is to keep moving when you have fibromyalgia.
Some gave her sleeping pills, but none considered that almost all sleeping pills interfere with the deep, restorative sleep that is essential to managing fibromyalgia. No one seems to have taken her irritable bowel syndrome seriously enough to have helped her to overcome it. This woman, surrounded by and married to a member of the medical profession, died of neglect as much as she died of a lethal injection.
Some fibromyalgia patients really have an underlying neurological disorder that is going undiagnosed. One such disorder is Lyme Disease, born by ticks. Symptom patterns often include fibromyaligia pain and stiffness, but also run the gabit of other problems such as digestive disorders, migraines, and a whole other host of sysmtpoms.
What do people with fibromyalgia need? There are many, and they can come and go over time, oftne quite unexpectedly but sometimes worsten with stress. So for one thing, a minimal stress lifestyle is number one goal, to whatever degree that is possible. Patients have other needs, such as the need for proper nutrition; someone to help with chores and errands; a trainer for a suitable physical conditioning and exercise program; pain management help, possibly including medication, so that the person can think straight and develop the will to prevail over this condition; and then a gradual tapering off of medicines as the person phases in the new lifestyle.
Acupuncture, massage, Feldenkrais, Alexander Technique and a host of other body therapies can be very helpful to sooth pain, fatigue, sensitivity and insomnia. The patient also needs a supportive environment, be it friends or family or neighbors and Church members.
Fibromyalgia is manageable, but not typically alone. It is neither life threatening nor progressive but persistence, focused attention and professional help by alternative care providers rather than mainstream Western physicians are required to get it under control. With the with the proper resources, support, assistance and guidance, one can live a rich and productive life in spite of it.
About the Author:
Miryam Williamson, a contributing editor to SelfhelpMagazine, is a technical journalist and author of "Fibromyalgia: A Comprehensive Approach What You Can Do About Chronic Pain and Fatigue," published by Walker and Company, New York, 1996, ISBN 0-8027-7484-9. At bookstores or from the publisher at 800-289-2553.
Revised 10/03/09 by Marlene M. Maheu, Ph.D.
We need support with getting our chores done. We need help getting into a living situation that is healthy for our sensitive bodies. We need proper healthcare options.
As a person with Fibromyalgia, I appreciate your article, but I am angry that more people do not understand. We are not at fault for a neurological dysfunction that affects our nerves and our organs in response to external stress.
We are a demographic of women, often with no money, and no hope of getting any because our ability to work is very limited. We often are too sick to advocate for ourselves. Families and friends need to help their loved ones when they are suffering from fibro.
The alternative of suicide is a VERY REAL, very easy ending to our pain.
Post Your Comment