Fibromyalgia and Anxiety
Having both Fibromyalgia and anxiety together can be devastating. The stress of coping with chronic widespread pain, chronic fatigue, brain fog and a host of many other symptoms can lead to anxiety and depression. Every moment of every day is filled with the agony of coping with little sleep, constant stress and excruciating pain. And every moment of every day is filled with the fear and anxiety that all of the symptoms could worsen. It is no wonder that Fibromyalgia and anxiety go hand in hand.
A vicious circle develops whereby the many and varied Fibromyalgia symptoms cause us worry and anxiety and the worry and anxiety worsens our Fibromyalgia symptoms.
One universal symptom common to all people with Fibromyalgia is sleep problems. These sleep problems can include poor sleep due to pain, un-refreshing sleep or general insomnia. Without good restorative sleep we are less likely to handle stress and more prone to mental disorders including anxiety.
Levels of anxiety can differ in all individuals with Fibromyalgia. But I have to say I have not come across a single person with Fibromyalgia who does not have anxiety too. This can be in the form of daily panic attacks or hidden anxiety such as teeth grinding or clenching.
My experience of Fibromyalgia and anxiety
I would say that having anxiety is part and parcel of having Fibromyalgia. You cannot have one without the other. Although I have never suffered from panic attacks or would ever have described myself as being an anxious person, I realise now that I was suffering anxiety even while I slept. This presented itself as teeth clenching (Bruxism) which caused me to bite into my gums and have terrible pain in my teeth, jaw and temple.
According to the NHS:
"Teeth grinding or clenching is most often caused by stress or anxiety and many people are not aware they do it. It often happens during sleep."
I was unaware that I was clenching my teeth. After 3 months of agony, seeing 5 dentists, several rounds of unnecessary antibiotics, a root canal filling, a separation of a dental bridge and finally an extraction I still had pain.
I was eventually diagnosed with Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD) which is very common in women with Fibromyalgia. My anxiety caused me to clench my teeth during the night which caused me to suffer tremendous pain. The pain and uncertainty of just why I was having so much pain in my teeth was adding to my anxiety. And as I was anxious I continued to clench my teeth during sleep.