Those of us that have a chronic illness often define ourselves by that illness. Rather than focusing on that illness, this article encourages readers to think about themselves as strong and healthy individuals and to watch what they think and how they form their identity.
I want to talk to you about your thoughts behind having a chronic illness like fibromyalgia and how getting labeled with fibromyalgia, having to deal with it daily, and having everyone tell you there is no cure can set you back.
In my blog I've stated that I don't believe you should accept that you have fibromyalgia and try to live with it. In doing that, you will always have it! Rather, accept that you can, do, and deserve to feel good, strong, and healthy.
Here's a quote that I read just last night by Silvia Browne from the book "The Other Side and Back"
". . .the more you declare any illness or physical problem to be a part of you, the more you'll hang on to it and refuse to let go, because we never willingly forfeit anything we've woven into the fabric of our identity.
Please don't misunderstand--I'm not saying for a moment that you shouldn't take your illnesses seriously. Follow the advice of the best doctors available to you; have regular physicals; educate yourself on health issues; eat sensibly, exercise and listen to your body when it tries to tell you it needs some kind of special attention. But keep health in perspective. "You" are not your body, any more than "you" are the car you travel in or the house you live in."
Please don't even consider that you will always have fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue or whatever. View yourself as a loving and caring person, not as someone who has fibromyalgia.
For example, you cannot say to yourself, "I do not have fibromyalgia. I do not have fibromyalgia." Your subconscious mind records the word "fibromyalgia" and will reward you with what you think about.
Another example: I had a client contact me by email the other day asking if a certain symptom was part of her fibromyalgia. I kind of got on her case because she had asked me this same thing a few times before, wondering if a certain symptom was related to her fibro. Even though now she's much better than when we first started working together, she's still holding on to the identity of having fibro. I said, essentially, that she needs to lose the idea that she has fibro and that she'll never get over it if she believes she will always have it.
So, watch your thinking. Watch how you form your identity. I'm sorry doctors have wrongly told you that you just have to deal with it. Throw that thinking out! You do need to have the doctor rule out anything more serious than fibromyalgia. Then get into the mind-frame that you will listen to what your body needs, eat well, exercise, enjoy life and learn as much as you can about your health and how to support it.
