Does fibromyalgia exist or are many patients suffering from depession-anxiety-stress-hypoc...

The problem with illnesses like fibromyalgia and M.E. are that we have a medical system that believes the 'physical' and 'mental/emotional' aspects of ourselves are totally unrelated. As a result, when they can't easily observe physical changes, they say it's psychological, by which they imply 'it's all in your mind' and 'you're faking it'. Very reasonably, sufferers from these all too real conditions get extremely aggravated.

But the truth is that much, if not most, possibly ALL illness has a psychological component. When something isn't right in our very selves, we may 'express' or 'deal with' that dis-ease on a physical, emotional or mental level. ALL THESE FORMS OF EXPRESSION ARE REAL!!!!

So there is absolutely no doubt that fibromyalgia exists, the pain and suffering are not imagined or hypochondriacal, and physical help is needed - but there is a psychological component which is perhaps clearer in fibromyalgia than in rheumatoid arthritis. Don't forget that cancer is MUCH more likely in people who have suffered trauma. It doesn't mean that they have 'caused' their cancer (it's so easy to get into the 'blame the victim' approach but it's quite unwarranted). So for some fibromyalgia patients, counselling/psychotherapy will be a helpful part of their treatment, and this does not in any way imply that their condition is imaginary or caused by them.

Fibromyalgia does exist. There was a girl at my last command (Im in the military) who got medically discharged for having it. My best friend has it too.

It does sound like a lot of ppl are jumping on the diagnosis band-wagon these days though, doesn't it?

Yes fybromyalgia does exist it is related to arthritis and causes muscular pain in various parts of the body

I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia after three years of severe pain that caused my inability to work, be a wife/mother, etc. I was depressed after getting the runaround for three years and being given crappy medicines. I was anxious and stressed about my financial situation because, in spite of my not getting treated, I would get terrible, visible spasms and my joints would swell. Am I a hypochondriac? It'd be kind of hard for me to "fake" swelling, enlarged nodes, shifted bones, etc so I doubt that I or most other fibromyalgia patients are hypochondriacs. I'll pose this instead: just as one cannot "see" fibromyalgia, neither can one really "see" alzheimer's, as it's only proven upon death. Who's to say they're not faking/misdiagnosed either until death? Try not to judge people too harshly; you never know what will happen to you and karma is a b@%$&.

Yes it does! My missus suffers terribly with it and it requires a great deal of sympathy and understanding.

It is commonly mis-interpreted as "M.E." but her over-riding symptoms are "bone-fatigue" and the inability to reach the final stage of sleep (there are four stages).

It is completely unrelated to any form of depression, which is a mental state, - not a physical one.

Hope this helps.

I have it and when it was dibilitating me I was terribly depressed. When I got the fibromyalgia under control I was able to diagnose an underlying condition that was actually causing anxiety & stress and that is being treated so the fibromyalgia hasn't shown its ugly head for quite a while. I can't do things. I would love so much to act like fibromyalgia doesn't exist, but my body won't let me.

It does exist & it CAUSES stress to be in so much pain NOT the other way round!

Chronic stress and depression have been shown to cause physical illness in individuals.

Fibromyalgia is one such illness - it is linked with stress and depression, but the physical symptoms are very real and cause misery for a lot of people.

It is not a manifestation of hypochondria.