Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia: Anxiety and the Stress Spiral

Stress and anxiety are an unfortunate, but common and inevitable feature of modern life.

As with diet, obesity, alcohol and smoking I am afraid that the news is simple. They have to be addressed as part of a holistic approach to coping with Fibromyalgia and CFS.

Learning to deal with stress is something that can be consciously learned and practiced and new techniques have proven very effective.

A higher than average percentage of patients undergoing Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue treatment are, or were, engaged in high stress environments and/or suffer from anxiety.

This may be or have been at home, as carers of relatives or young children. It may have been in work detail or during a divorce or home move.

Whatever the cause a significant increase in stress and anxiety is frequently cited at the time of onset of the sufferers Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome symptoms.

As well as being implicated pre-onset of the Syndrome, stress reactions are involved in the maintenance and exacerbation of the Syndrome post-onset.

Blood pressure, heart rate, the entire endocrine system which controls hormone production are all implicated and involved during stress reactions and unfortunately the system that directly controls all these systems, the Autonomic Nervous System, in particular the Sympathetic Nervous Systems or "day nerve" remain malfunctional post-onset.

The result, unfortunately will be an exacerbated negative reaction of your Fatigue and Fibromyalgia symptoms to stress and anxiety producing situations.

To make matters worse there is evidence that once activated the stress reaction lasts abnormally longer in patients afflicted with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Is CFS more common in stressed or anxious people Click Here

Let me first give a very broad outline of how general medical advice is presented to healthcare providers in diagnosing Fibromyalgia and CFS patients:

"frequently seen characteristics of CFS and Fibromyalgia patients

	People who through their own personal attitudes and anxieties tend to make their own lives mores stressful.
	People who are highly ambitious, they appear to be always active physically and mentally.
	People whose lives are fully absorbed coping with the needs and requirements of others.
	People who avoid taking the time they need for themselves to rest, relax and recuperate and build supportive relationships that are entirely their own.
	People who have difficulty finding others to confide in, so bottling up years of emotions and pain at times of bereavement or loss. Dear Sufferer Please Take One Minute To Answer These 10 Questions Here