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The emotional journey of fibromyalgia is sometimes as difficult as the physical challenges the disease presents. During the process of managing your fibromyalgia, it's important to deal with inevitable frustrations and emotions that come up, especially as the condition alternately improves and worsens over time and pain can become intense and hard to manage:

• National Pain Foundation: Fibromyalgia
• National Pain Foundation: Self-Management Strategies

Fibromyalgia is not life-threatening, nor does it appear to be a progressive disease that causes damage to the body over time. But fibromyalgia is painful and can be hard to manage. If treatments are not working to keep your symptoms in check, try not to give up. Keep exploring the possibilities with your doctor and if you feel you're not getting anywhere with your physician or pain specialist, it may be time to find someone else. Talking to others who are going through what you are can not only help you emotionally and spiritually, but other fibromyalgia survivors may tell you about new treatments you haven't heard of. Check out these communities and organizations for help, inspiration, support and information:

• American Chronic Pain Association
• National Pain Association: My Community Account Setup
• Dailystrength.org: Fibromyalgia Support Group

Pain Tracking

Tracking your pain, emotions, energy level, and more in a fibromyalgia diary can help you better understand what makes you feel better, as well as what may be worsening your symptoms. Finding these connections in your daily routine can make it easier to find ways to reduce the severity of your symptoms:

About.com: Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Tracking Your Symptoms

Give Back

Have you ever considered that sharing your experience as a fibromyalgia survivor might help someone else? Take a minute to set up your TSC profile, then share your fibromyalgia experiences, including what got you through, with others. Your words might inspire someone else!

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