Fibromyalgia and Mood Swings

Fibromyalgia and Mood Swings

Fibromyalgia and Mood Swings

Since fibromyalgia is persistently chronic, pain and debilitation can have detrimental effects on emotional health.

This does not necessarily mean it drives one crazy, but it can cause moodiness from time to time. Constant pain has a way of causing persistent stress.

The first thing we must do is forgive ourselves and give ourselves the space to be who we are. There is no need for shame and, if mood swings arise and become an issue, so be it.

If they make problems worse, perhaps there is a help. It is all one step at a time. It is never just fibromyalgia

Mood Disorder Manifestation

Fibromyalgia leads to mood disorders and emotional problems. Fluctuations of mood become frequent and often harmful. Imagine being perfectly happy one moment then a second later becoming violently angry.

The same chemicals in the brain that cause mood swings are the same neurotransmitters involved with fibromyalgia and there is a distinct link between the two.

Another major factor comes into play and that is the sheer pain of fibromyalgia. This has to contribute to mood swings.

Being constantly tortured will stress you out and make you pretty twitchy. Just losing your wallet will drive you nuts.

Many fibromyalgia sufferers get little quality sleep because any sleeping position is agonizing. Even sleep deprivation contributes to mood problems.

The further we delve into the possible contributions of fibromyalgia and mood swings, the deeper the hole gets. It seems like symptomatic relief is most needed to start to fix the real issue. This takes us back to the notion of diet.

Enter Science

Managing the mood can require dietary shifts. Controlling blood sugar can show a lot. The basic deal goes like this: No sugar, no processed foods, no candy, no desert, no alcohol, no caffeine… just eat lots of vegetables and rice.

Get one of those food vortex things you see on TV and drink your roots and stuff. Alright, that may be a bit extreme, but this is what the trend is going toward and it might just work.

Physicians also recommend anti-depressant medication. This is reasonable. They do work. Side effects generally subside after about 3 weeks, but the pain relief and mood stability are significant.

Some other side effects may arise later, but if you talk to your doctor about it, this should get corrected easily.

Many people have become scared of antidepressants. Once upon a time, with the first generation of the medications, they were rather dangerous. They were highly effective but had serious side effects.

Now, they are very streamlined and you barely notice taking them, just you feel better. It is a good idea to get an idea of how they work and how they are related to fibromyalgia and mood swings.

Neurotransmitters are these nifty chemicals in our nervous systems and brains which tell nerves what to do. One of them is called Serotonin and it has many jobs.

In the body, it helps control pain and movement. In the brain, it keeps neurons from overeating. It calms down hyperactive brain cells.

Sometimes, there isn’t enough serotonin in the brain to do the job of calming things down and the mood gets out of whack. Anxiety and worry and depression start to build up severely. Body pains increase.

Antidepressants help get the neurotransmitter levels back up so there is less anxiety, a better mood, less worry, clear thinking, and less pain.

Your doctor will monitor your therapy and sometimes have to try new therapies if certain ones do not work. Sometimes it is a process, but it seems to be the most effective front line treatment for symptoms at the time.

Coping with Mood Swings

It is apparent fibromyalgia causes one to become elevated on levels of frustration which are quite complex and unique to each individual. There have to be outlets. Painting is good.

Art can be a brilliant outlet that inspires others. On the other hand, should you feel more physical about it, there are some slamming good martial arts classes to go to.

Boxing clubs are interesting and understandably stress relieving. Then there is the internal approach of meditation practice or Yoga or a combination of both.

The bottom line is you must find a way of coping with mood swings and get better. You have fibromyalgia and run the medical gauntlet.

Now it is time to get out the frustrations in some way. Exercise whether it is mental or physical or preferably both. It is vital to take power over your life.

Any decent psychologist would suggest finding a focus, an outlet. There are support groups to help you learn coping skills so you can avoid destroying relationships.

POSITIVE MIND

With constant pain, there is a tendency to become negative with thinking. We become pessimistic and the world looks shady and never too pretty at all.

There is a tendency to develop a negative outlook and people start to see this in us. We feel justified because we don’t feel so good.

Here is an idea worth trying: Get some inspirational books and start reading them every morning, night and afternoon. Try to start thinking positive thoughts. It really does become a habit.

Instead of saying, “damn it,” move over to “darn it.” Little steps. Learn to laugh at the stuff which normally makes you angry.

It isn’t easy at first. Start to see a broken glass as an opportunity. It may all seem like fluff at first, but you get the hang of it.

After a while, you start to feel the value of a positive mind. Your body will start to produce endorphins, which are feel-good hormones.

You smile more and attract good friends over for tea. Life starts to become pretty and you have good things to say. Just try it out.

It really can’t hurt to take a brief practice of putting pessimistic thinking in a box and trying on some golden thinking so you can avoid the mood swings once and for all.

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