Living with Fibromyalgia Pain: Coping Methods

I have been in pain for the last few months, more than usual, as the weather changes and an infection have been taking their toll.  Considering I cannot take any pain killers, the pain makes things difficult.  Some days, I don't have much energy since so much of my energy goes toward dealing with pain, but others, I'm able to deal with the pain just enough.

The first key coping method is ignoring the pain.  I have years of experience in doing this.  It's amazing how much pain you can ignore, especially when you have something more important to focus on.  In my experience, we can ignore even very high levels of pain in short bursts.  Our kids need us, the pot is boiling over, our significant others call us from the other room, we need to get ready quickly for an important event, or something equally significant and short--any reason to set aside the pain in our minds, compartmentalize and wall off the pain for a short time, can be used to mute the pain for a little while.  When pain levels are low, we can do it for longer, but when pain levels are high, we can only do it in short bursts.

The second key coping method is spacing things out during the day.  If you know you have a lot of different things to get done that will take a lot of energy, space them out as best you can.  Waiting until later in the day and then doing everything all at once will only make the pain worse the rest of the day and into the night.  This lesson is one I'm still learning, especially when mornings are so difficult, but if I put about an hour or so in between errands or taking the kids hither and yon, it helps keep the pain to a lower level.

The third key coping method is self-care.  My pain is always worse when I don't eat, let alone when I don't eat right, and then don't take my supplements and medications.  My pain level goes up with less sleep or worse sleep or both.  While a shower might be beyond me some days, a hot bath with Epsom salts can make me able to drive, so putting it off just makes things worse.  When I stop taking care of myself, the pain is always worse, so sticking to a routine and making sure to eat, take my pills, bathe, sleep as well as possible can help keep the pain at a more manageable level.

Lastly, the most important coping method is rest.  On really bad pain days, I have to make myself rest.  I can do myofascial release, yoga, hot baths, take all the right pills and eat well, and if I don't rest, the pain will make sure I do sooner rather than later.  Resting with my feet up, knitting, sleeping, reading, resting of any kind helps.  As Dr. Liptan says, in fibromyalgia, our bodies are in a constant state of fight-or-flight, and only rest can really trigger the rest-and-release state we so desperately need.

Of course I use other coping methods: tai chi and yoga (depends on my mood that day and my pain level), meditation and prayer, walking, gardening to be outside, various supplements, water exercises, and more.  Thing is, they don't all work all the time on my pain.  Using the key strategies and then trying these others until finding what works that day are really the only ways I have for dealing with my pain.

What methods do you use?