Fibromyalgia Family Support

Involving the family

If a family member has fibromyalgia, the whole family has to come together to discuss the needs and limitations of each person. Everyone has to be able to listen and be given the chance to offer input that will lead to solutions. The entire process could ultimately bring the entire family closer together.

Prioritizing needs

You are only as good to others as you are good to yourself. It may sound like a cliché, but it is true. If people with fibromyalgia put their needs after everyone else’s, it will do more harm than good. It could not only aggravate their symptoms, but they may start harbouring negative feelings like resentment towards the very people they are trying to make happy. They have to focus on managing their pain first, managing everyone else’s expectations second.

The effects on family

Family life can be action-packed… preparing meals, shuttling the kids to their activities, managing the budget. If the person who keeps the household running has fibromyalgia, the family will certainly have to make adjustments. But every family can work it out by keeping the lines of communication open and creating an environment of mutual respect.

Pitching in

Planning, organizing and creating schedules so everyone in the family can help out can prove very beneficial. You don’t want to transfer adult responsibilities on to children, but having them do chores at home will instill responsibility and teach them basic skills they can use throughout life.

Saying “No”

“No” is hard to say and hard to hear. But when a fibromyalgia patient is simply not up to the task, “no” has to be the answer. Instead of feeling like he or she is letting a loved one down, the patient can give generously in other ways – by saying “yes” to being more emotionally available for small meaningful moments and conversations that bring the family closer together.

Dealing with negative influences

Coping with pain means keeping a positive attitude, on good days as well on as bad days. However, since a lot of the population doesn’t understand that fibromyalgia is a very real condition, patients often encounter doubt and criticism from friends, family, colleagues and other important people in their lives. They should not let this negativity affect them and seek out positive reinforcement and support from compassionate, caring people who can help them feel their best.

Sexuality

A good sex life has a number of benefits, from an increased level of self-esteem to lower levels of stress. The sleep problems associated with fibromyalgia pain have an obvious impact on a healthy sex life. So partners should practice open communication to finds times and ways to keep intimacy part of their relationship.