Nine Things I Wished I had Been Told When Diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Psoriatic Arthritis

Welcome to part one of nine things I wished I had been told when diagnosed with fibromyalgia and psoriatic arthritis. 1> 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Receiving a diagnosis of an autoimmune disease can be overwhelming. There is so much information to take in.

There are many resources available to educate us about our symptoms and treatment options. However, there aren’t many resources for patients to be made aware of the changes that could become an issue.

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In the beginning

I received diagnosis fairly quick and easily. I hadn’t even suspected psoriatic arthritis. It was my rheumatologist who spotted the state of my toenails.

What I was told after each diagnosis:

  • There isn’t a cure.
  • We can decrease your pain with medication.

That’s it!

That was in 2003. Not one conversation with my doctor could have prepared me for what lied ahead. Sadly, I don’t see much difference today.

#Fibromyalgia and #psoriaticarthritis are more than physically painful. Without proper support and education these #chronicillnesses destroy lives!

THE MESS MY CHRONIC ILLNESS WOULD CREATE IN MY MIND

I wished I had been told about the hit my mental health would take

Living with daily pain from a chronic illness will take a toll on your mental health.

It is common for those who have a chronic illness like fibromyalgia and autoimmune arthritis to battle both depression and anxiety.

Warning and reassuring patients that it is normal to mourn their old lives will help them work through emotions instead of hiding them.

stages of chronic illness grief I wish i had been told about

What we need to know

They need to know that their doctors recognize that the depression and anxiety that follows a diagnosis is normal and won’t be used against them.

There are many reasons patients will not discuss feelings of depression or anxiety. They fear that their doctors will turn the tables and blame their chronic pain on those feelings. This has happened to me.

Depression and anxiety do not cause arthritis! But poorly managed #chronicpain may cause depression and anxiety!

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What could help a newly diagnosed patient

  • A pamphlet or similar resource outlining the stages of grief and how they relate to losing the life they had.
  • Inform patients that it is normal to go through stages of depression and anxiety.
  • Most importantly, patients need to know that thoughts of suicide are possible and that they need to reach out for help if they are experiencing any. If you are currently experiencing thoughts of suicide please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or click here to chat with someone online now.

Thank you for reading part one of this nine-part series.

Continue reading 9 Things I Wish I Had Been Told:

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Published by Cynthia Covert

Diagnosed in 2001 with psoriasis, followed by fibromyalgia, psoriatic arthritis, endometriosis, and later a botched hysterectomy turned her world upside down. Cynthia shares her experience, advice, and tips for how to make life with chronic pain easier and less painful.

2 thoughts on “Nine Things I Wished I had Been Told When Diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Psoriatic Arthritis

  1. This is a really important post Cynthia! Thank you for sharing. I can totally relate to the graphic you made of the stages of chronic illness grief. I agree, doctors need to put more information out there and share rescources with newly diagnosed patients.

    1. Thank you. I think many, myself included, were confused by the overwhelming surge of emotions and issues we found ourselves dealing with. Looking back I can see how having this information would have been helpful if for no other reason than having an idea of why I was experiencing them.

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