Fibromyalgia explained

Cognitive therapy
Changing your attitude can also help to improve your physical health. Several studies have shown the benefits of cognitive therapy for women with fibromyalgia. The three major research findings are:

• Negative thoughts are not just responses to stress - they add to stress
• Thoughts affect the emotional perception of pain
• Learning to control negative catastrophic thoughts can have a major effect on symptoms

Strategies for dealing with negative thoughts include the following:

• Alternative interpretation. You might start with a fairly neutral thought such as 'I'm tired today'. From there, it's easy to 'go negative' such as 'I feel bad so I won't get anything done today'. An alternative, non-negative interpretation is 'I should investigate strategies for achieving deeper sleep so I won't be so tired.'
• Coping statements. Try telling yourself you can handle the symptoms and reminding yourself of strategies you've used in the past to cope with or alleviate symptoms.
• Label shifting. The way we describe things influences our overall mood and physical sense of well being. You might describe someone who double-checks her work as either obsessive-compulsive (negative) or as thorough and diligent (neutral/positive). Discarding a habit of negative labelling can boost your mood. Changing the way you think is, of course, easier said then done. A cognitive therapist can guide the transition to a less-negative outlook.