Shame and Fibromyalgia

[00:00:00]Shame and fibromyalgia. Hi, I'm Dr. Mark and I've helped thousands of people with their painful conditions.

[00:00:08]Uh there is an interesting connection between uh fibromyalgia and shame.

[00:00:14]Uh it's likely not the cause of fibromyalgia, but it certainly doesn't help and it likely uh makes the situation much worse.

[00:00:24]Uh people with fibromyalgia, they have symptoms that others can't see.

[00:00:30]Uh sometimes they face skepticism from friends and family members, maybe even their health care provider.

[00:00:38]Uh they lose the ability or they they have a reduced ability to do things that they once did.

[00:00:46]Over time, this can lead to feelings of shame. Even uh hyper-vigilance about how others perceive them.

[00:00:55]From a nervous system perspective, shame is a powerful threat signal. It can increase stress responses, muscle tension, rumination, even autonomic arousal.

[00:01:08]Uh for those who have a sensitized nervous system, these things can amplify your symptoms.