Coping with fibromyalgia is particularly difficult because the symptoms are invisible and chronic. A person can’t simply “get over” fibromyalgia with the passage of time or wishful thinking. The article links below are provided to assists patients with solution-oriented approaches to handling awkward, sensitive, or stressful situations brought on by your illness.

Letter to Normals: Getting Others to See Your Symptoms

These are the things that I would like you to understand about me before you judge me …  Read more.

Believe in Yourself—Steering Clear of Self-Doubt and Destructive Thoughts

How do you believe in yourself when others trivialize your symptoms? Or how do you continue to like yourself when fibromyalgia keeps stealing your energy and ability to function as you once did? Read more.

Reducing Feelings of Resentment in Your Relationship

Having fibromyalgia in a partnership or marriage can dramatically change the relationship. Simple tasks that you both took for granted may be sidetracked, leading to feelings of anger or resentment. Read more.

Create a Social Life

Supportive social contact is a huge buffer against a chronic illness like fibromyalgia, says Connie O’Reilly, Ph.D., of Beaverton, OR. But couples may have to rethink and recreate a social life based on new realities. Read more.

Hurdling Painful Flare-ups

How do you stay calm when the pain is so great that it is just about ready to push you over the edge of sanity? Learn what you can do to minimize symptom flare-ups. Read more.

Handling Gloomy Days

If you find yourself struggling to maintain a positive outlook at any time of the year, consider using some of these self-help tips to keep your mind off of your fibromyalgia symptoms. Read more.

Family Involvement

While only one person in a family may suffer from fibromyalgia the entire family is affected by it. Your family faces a troublesome time while learning to cope with the anxieties, fears and trauma produced by fibromyalgia. So how do you get support from your family? Read more.

Patient Rights & Second Medical Opinions

What are your patient rights in the doctor’s office and how do you assert them? And, how can you tactfully ask for a second medical opinion? Read more.

Feeling Negative About Your Illness Outlook?

An optimistic person might say that there’s a silver lining to everything in life; you just have to look for it. But searching for life’s fulfillment isn’t easy. Read more.