Food For Thought

One of the questions asked on this forum provided some food for thought. The question was in regards to how to tell if someone really has fibromyalgia. What is at the heart of this question was whether or not an individual was actually experiencing the symptoms of fibromyalgia or was, in fact, faking their symptoms. This may be a legitimate question in some people’s minds, especially if they don’t have an understanding of the specific nuances of fibromyalgia and its evil twin, chronic fatigue syndrome.

The problem with fibromyalgia, as anyone who suffers from it well knows, is that the disease shows no outward appearance that can be easily identified by others. There is no way to tell by looking at someone if they have the condition. This poses some difficulty for some, who find it hard to believe that someone can be as sick as they sometimes are with fibromyalgia, and yet appear normal and sometimes even act normally.

The truth is that many conditions cannot be identified by others by appearance alone. Even someone with a life-threatening illness such as cancer may appear normal on the outside, although their body may be waging a war on the inside. Many diseases cannot be seen, but are indeed very real to the person who suffers from them.

A concept that is taught in nursing school, and probably in all medically-related professions is this: “Pain is what the person says it is”. We are taught as healthcare professionals that we cannot judge what another’s experience is, but instead must accept it.

People handle pain and other unpleasant stimuli in a myriad of different ways, utilizing different methods of coping. Sometimes these methods are successful and sometimes they are not; the bottom line is that we cannot judge what we have not ourselves experienced. This requires a leap of faith that is sometimes difficult, but is required to show our humanity towards those who may be suffering.

This post is not meant in any way to chastise anyone, but simply to provide another way of thinking about a situation that we likely all encounter at some point.