A Sad Day

So today i learned that my Great Auntie Joan has passed away, she was found in her chair by her son who had tried to, unsuccessfully, call her last night but to no avail.

I hadn't seen her for years and years since she move back down South from up North, but i will always remember her voice, isn't it weird what you remember of people :) .

I shared a lot of medical links with her that i don't with other family members, she also had Graves disease and had a Thyroidectomy like myself, she had gallstone issues and also, the big one, Fibromyalgia!, it was just me and her who had it in the family that i know of!

I was a bit naughty today and walked all the way to my grandparents and all the way back, up to school, to the shops to get tea, the school run and then now iv'e finally sat down at 4 pm from being out from 10 am, i decided to double my medication as i knew i had to go and see my gran, as she has just lost her sister. My granddad gave me £5 for the bus, so if anybody sees him, please lie for me and tell him i caught the bus haha ;).

 Sadly i HAVE to write this on my diary form for CBT which will obviously end up with me getting shouted at......i am forever getting shouted at, but thats what theyre there for, to help me pace myself, this is my problem, im very stubborn, if i feel i can do something i don't think of the consequences....i can feel the consequences now though......grim!

Here are some spoons :)

Silent Sunday

#silentsunday

I like my quotes i do

Healing Crystals for Fibromyalgia

Crystals are a big part of my life, i only started my collection early this year after reading books and posts, the way they can help the body whether its to aid healing, infertility, love, sleep...you name it, there are crystals for it.

Crystal Healing can be described as the application of crystals to aid the body’s energy system find a healthy and comfortable point of balance to improve the quality of life. As we’ve already seen pain has a serious detrimental effect on the quality of life and crystals can be highly effective in removing pain.

Crystals can help pain in several ways. They can work directly on the pain as above, certain crystals will generally aid particular areas of the body, such as citrine for the digestive tract or emerald for the lungs, and working with or just wearing these crystals may help to relieve pain in specific areas or organs in the body and some crystals will act as “pain killers” and dull the sensation such as chevron amethyst.

Amethyst is my favorite, i have a large raw Amethyst rock, small crystals in a jar and numerous polished for around my neck. It is prized for its ability to work on all types of pain, whether emotional, physical, spiritual, or other.  Amethyst works on the subtle level by balancing the subtle energy bodies and cleansing the aura.  Meditation with Amethyst can bring new insights into issues that may or may not have been addressed by you in the past.  Amethyst is said to relieve pain, depression, anxiety, and insomnia

Citrine can provide an energizing vibe of vitality and hope when it is most needed, helping to lesson depression and negativity. Citrine makes a great compliment to Amethyst, so much so that they are often found together in the form of Ametrine, which beautifully combines the two energies of these crystals.

 Rose Quartz can be quite helpful to those who find themselves depressed or sad.  As soon as onenQuartz is known as the Master Healing Crystal because it contains the full spectrum of light and as such will work on every level to bring the body into balance. It strengthens and stabilizes the body's energy fields and promotes harmony. Quartz can amplify both positive thoughts and energy and can stimulate positive action when it is needed. It can be held or worn to promote clarity of thought and to help you to see your way more clearly.For Fibromyalgia symptoms i wear/ hold Rose Quartz and Clear Quartz.

Worth a read!

This is one of the first books i read on Fibromyalgia, my mum got it for me not long after us realising this is what i may have (before all tests were done).

The book tells you about signs and symptoms and what people have said who also have the condition. I took a picture of a section which related to me so much, it was as if i had wrote it. The worst thing about having a Chronic illness is people not understanding, due to this, friends/family either walk away or they get pushed away. After reading this book it hit me so hard that i was not the only one, its so hard being consumed in your own little bubble of pain, you don't always think there are more people going through the exact same thing. This is one instance where i think the Internet is amazing! It connects people from all walks of life, different countries and cultures, all joining together helping each other through the tough times, managing or coming to terms of the thought of having a Chronic illness, that is what we need, acceptance and understanding.

Have you got any books you could recommend?:) x

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain

Today i had my first session ( after my introduction appointment ) to discuss where i want to begin with the therapy. It isn't as straight forward as tackling one sole issue, i did originally get referred due to anxiety, but it has now come to light that it is also depression, trying to deter my thoughts away from the pain and feeling like a failure and trying to pace myself. 

We have decided to start with pacing myself and dealing with my pain and then move on to my feelings and moods which along with the chronic pain builds up my anxiety...too many circle are going around and around!! 

In order to break the circle, each part of it needs tackling! We can change our physical reactions by practicing relaxation techniques, we can challenge our unhelpful thinking patterns by completing a thought diary and we can change our behaviors by tackling avoidance. By carrying out these things, we should start to notice changes in our mood, feel less anxious and in time learn to accept and manage our pain.

It is common for someone experiencing Chronic Pain to think negatively and negative thinking will increase our sensitivity to the pain that we are experiencing.

Has anybody had CBT for Chronic Pain along with other mental health issues, what techniques did you learn that help with your pain and emotional well being?