| Fibromyalgia is a devastating condition to live with. I | | | | weaning myself off it, until I no longer was taking it |
| lived with it myself, and I know. When you have | | | | at all. Next came my second pain killer, which I also |
| fibromyalgia, you are in pain every minute of every | | | | weaned myself off, being careful to keep journaling |
| day. Your general practitioner or rheumatologist will | | | | about what went on each day. Next I reduced the |
| provide you with pain medication, from which you | | | | medication that I was taking to help me sleep, and |
| can get some relief, but the pain never really goes | | | | finally stopped it completely. The last step for me |
| away. Living like that wears you down both physically | | | | was being weaned off of the Cymbalta that my |
| and emotionally. | | | | rheumatologist had recommended. This is a drug with |
| From my own personal experience, I know that | | | | most unpleasant side effects at times, and you |
| doctors don't leave you with much hope, in terms of | | | | should never stop it suddenly, or on your own. I was |
| possible improvement of your condition. My own | | | | taken off Cymbalta gradually, with reduced doses, |
| doctor told me, "We've talked about this before. It's | | | | under the supervision of my doctor. |
| always going to be this way, so accept it." | | | | After years of being heavily medicated, I was now |
| His words did nothing to push me in the direction of | | | | drug free except for my medication for hypertension. |
| acceptance. Quite the opposite, in fact. My doctor | | | | What a personal victory that was, and what a lesson |
| made me absolutely determined to do anything and | | | | it was for me as far as the closed minds of many |
| everything that I could to move out of that world of | | | | doctors. It never even occurred to my |
| constant pain. | | | | rheumatologist that my condition could improve, and |
| I had discovered the wonders of EFT not long | | | | since he had no hope, he took away mine, a terrible |
| before my diagnosis. I was tapping for work related | | | | thing to do. |
| stress, and getting some very good results. When I | | | | If you suffer from fibromyalgia, and would like to |
| look back now, I know that EFT was the only thing | | | | start tapping on your pain and what might be at the |
| that allowed me to stay in a job that I hated and still | | | | bottom of it, your best bet is to start a tapping |
| be functional. | | | | journal of your own. Start tracking: |
| What I realized at some point was that the more | | | | - Your daily pain levels. |
| stress I was able to tap away with EFT, the less | | | | - How that pain makes you feel. (Sad, angry, helpless, |
| pain I had. On the days that my stress level was at | | | | etc.) |
| its' highest, my pain was nearly intolerable. | | | | - What can you NOT do now, that you could do |
| That was, for me, a wonderful incentive to keep on | | | | before? |
| tapping. The tapping not only allowed me to feel | | | | - Is there a secondary gain for you in not being able |
| better emotionally, it also reduced my pain and made | | | | to do those things? |
| me more comfortable physically. | | | | - Would peoples' expectations of you change if you |
| As it became more and more obvious that my pain | | | | were to stop having so much pain? |
| level was going down, I dared to start dreaming of | | | | - Do you get more attention/care/nurturing because |
| getting off the medications that I was taking, two of | | | | you're in pain? |
| which were for pain, and one which helped me to | | | | - How much relief do you get when you tap directly |
| sleep. I continued to tap on the work stress on a | | | | on the pain? |
| daily basis, but now also tapped on the pain directly, | | | | - How much relief do you get when you tap on the |
| and how it made me feel. I found that I had anger, | | | | emotions around the pain? |
| frustration, sadness and a sense that my body had | | | | - What kind of tapping seems to work best for you? |
| let me down. I tapped on all of it. | | | | By keeping a journal about these kinds of issues, you |
| I began keeping a tapping journal. I kept track of | | | | track your progress and are able to easily see what |
| what I tapped on each day, what feelings that | | | | is most effective for you. Using EFT to address your |
| bought up, what kind of relief I got, and what | | | | condition is good. Doing this while keeping a tapping |
| outstanding issues (tail enders) came up during my | | | | journal is even better. |
| tapping. The journal really helped to keep me focused | | | | Perhaps most important of all on a journey like this is |
| on my goal. | | | | to be persistent, and try to not get discouraged. |
| After several months of tapping and journaling, it | | | | Relief doesn't happen overnight, and you need to be |
| became obvious to me that my pain level was low | | | | encouraged by each small victory that you have. |
| enough to start working on getting the drugs out of | | | | Hang in there, keep tapping, and you too can move |
| my system. I started with my strongest pain killer, | | | | past fibromyalgia. |