Fibromyalgia, a chronic disease characterized by widespread pain, tenderness, trigger points, and general fatigue in the muscles, can lead to a serious decrease in the quality of life. Specialist Clinical Psychologist and Specialist Dietitian Merve Öz, who stated that one of the important factors triggering fibromyalgia is the personality structure, emphasized that fibromyalgia is more common in people with a sensitive and perfectionist structure.

Specialist Clinical Psychologist and Specialist Dietitian Merve Öz from Yeditepe University Koşuyolu Hospital said that traumas, stress, and personality structure are the main factors, although it cannot be determined exactly what causes fibromyalgia, and stated, “Stress, in particular, can lead to the deterioration and suppression of the immune system in our body. In addition, it reduces our ability to cope with pain and negative emotions. In this sense, the stress in daily life and beyond that, stressful and traumatic childhood stories are effective in increasing the intensity and frequency of fibromyalgia symptoms. Most fibromyalgia patients state that their pain and fatigue symptoms increase in stressful situations.”

Stress: Both Cause and Effect  

Specialist Clinical Psychologist and Specialist Dietitian Merve Öz, who stated that stress is an important factor in the emergence, management, and exacerbation of fibromyalgia, also underlined that the symptoms and chronic pain accompanying fibromyalgia also cause stress, and thus the relationship between stress and fibromyalgia is complex and multidimensional.

Sensitive and Perfectionist Persons Are at Risk

Stating that fibromyalgia is more common in people who are more sensitive, emotional, quickly affected by events, and have a perfectionist personality structure, Specialist Psychologist Merve Öz said, “These patients are very prone to catastrophic thinking. In other words, they think about the worst-case scenario. Catastrophic thinking style can cause fibromyalgia to occur and the pain to worsen after it occurs. For example, an individual suffering from fibromyalgia pain may think that "these pains will never go away", "I will not be able to walk anymore", and "I will stay like this for the rest of my life". Thus, we can say that the stress that occurs in patients with catastrophic thinking is both the cause and the result of fibromyalgia. There is a complex and multidimensional relationship that can be called even a vicious circle between stress and fibromyalgia.”

It is Possible to Achieve Satisfying Results with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Specialist Clinical Psychologist Merve Öz from Yeditepe University Koşuyolu Hospital, who informed that the 'Cognitive Behavioral Therapy' method is effective in patients with catastrophic mentality or who are perfectionists, finished her speech by saying, “Our thoughts determine our emotions, our emotions determine our behavior, and our actions determine our life. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy aims to show the individual how this belief system is reflected in thoughts, feelings, and behaviors by recognizing the negative conditioning and the belief system that develops in relation to it. In addition to diet and exercise programs in individuals, we see that in studies where Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is applied, stress and therefore fibromyalgia pain decrease and the body begins to relax.”

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