What’s the hardest part of living with fibromyalgia (FM)?
- pain?
- fatigue?
- changes in your life?
- people not believing you?
- feeling like you’re the only one with this strange disease?
All of these issues - and more - are presented in the new documentary film by Daneen Akers and Stephen Eyer, Living With Fibromyalgia: A Journey of Hope and Understanding. And it’s great!
After Daneen’s mother was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, Daneen chronicles her family’s search for understanding of what this disease is and how to best treat it. The filmmakers also interview doctors, experts, and several people with FM from diverse backgrounds who share their own stories of learning to survive and even thrive with this illness.
The film is positive and realistic. It’s engaging to watch. It has a very good balance between patients’ stories and treatment information.
I believe it’s a great resource both for patients new to FM and for those who’ve been dealing with this disorder for some time. I especially liked the inclusion of a broad range of tools to help with FM in addition to medical treatment – diet, meditation, psychological treatments, etc. And for patients with pain conditions, especially disorders which aren’t well understood, having a sense of a community with others who also have their condition is crucial. This film provides that.
I’d recommend this film to all people with FM, their families and friends, as well as health care providers who work with patients with FM. To order the film for yourself or for more information, go to Daneen’s website. Click here to see the trailer. For further info about FM, visit the National Fibromyalgia Association.
*** 8 more days to enter our contest, Your Most Creative Way To Relax!
Did you like this post? Would you like to get How to Cope with Pain posts delivered directly to you? Click here for info about setting up an RSS feed.
If you liked this post, recommend it at Reddit.
6 responses so far ↓
Ibod Catooga // Aug 8, 2007 at 5:56 am
Fibromyalgia is fake.
David Jefferson // Aug 8, 2007 at 6:27 am
Thank you for this entry. I find this video very helpful and informative. One of my friends was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and I just sent him the link to this blog post. Thanks again!
HtCwP // Aug 8, 2007 at 10:28 am
Hi all,
I was going to delete the first comment above by Ibod, but decided to keep it for a few reasons.
1. Not everyone is smart enough to educate themselves about illnesses.
2. Don’t let someone else’s lack of intelligence make you question what is true.
3. Don’t give someone else the power to make you mad. Not everyone has to agree with you. It’s only their problem.
4. Here’s a chance to send an uneducated and hostile person loving kindness, rather than letting the hostility spread. Remember those mindfulness exercises - awareness, but not judgement - we’ve been discussing??? Time to practice!!!
What are your thoughts? Is it troubling for you to see that kind of comment?
jeisea // Aug 10, 2007 at 5:29 am
Does this go back to your post. How do you know another’s pain?
I don’t know a lot about this topic but am aware many CRPS/RSD sufferers have this added pain. I’m wondering if, as it’s a chronic pain, mirror visual feedback would be helpful.
jeisea
jeisea // Aug 10, 2007 at 5:45 am
I forgot to mention I’ll put a link to this page on my google group as we have a section for sufferers of fibromyalgia. Hope this is fine with you. My members would greatly appreciate this information. I’ll alert “Living with chronic pain” and “World Health News” about this too. Awareness is so important.
Thank you again HTwP
HtCwP // Aug 10, 2007 at 1:31 pm
Re Jeisea’s 1st comment… Studies have shown the fibromyalgia causes changes in the brain, sensitization. So I think as mirror work helps with sensitization, it would theoretically help.
Leave a Comment