A Different Kind of Fibromyalgia Story
For years, fibromyalgia felt like an invisible storm inside my body — one that kept building
until I couldn’t ignore it any longer. What I didn’t realise at the time was that this storm
didn’t begin in my 30s, or even in my 20s. It began in childhood.
Today I’m sharing my journey for anyone who lives with chronic pain, trauma, fatigue, or
the feeling of being dismissed by doctors, systems, or even your own body. My aim isn’t to
offer medical advice — but to share what has transformed my life, in the hope it might help
someone else start their own healing path.
Where It Really Began: Trauma, Survival, and the Nervous System
Although my fibromyalgia diagnosis didn’t come until adulthood, the roots go back decades.
My trauma began at age four. It involved abuse, manipulation, and repeated access to
alcohol given to me by my abuser until I was eleven. That early exposure shaped my
developing nervous system in ways I wouldn’t understand until much later.
For decades, I coped the only way I knew how: through alcohol, partying, adrenaline, and
numbing. It was ok on the surface because I put equal energy into my highly successful
career.
Everything changed when I decided to become a mum. I paused drinking. I stopped
numbing. And that’s when the emotional aftermath finally surfaced — depression, anxiety,
panic, and PTSD.
Years of therapy, including EMDR and Hypnotherapy ensued as the full horror of what
happened unfolded. Therapy helped me heal emotionally… but as the emotional pain left my
body, the physical pain intensified. Fibromyalgia was building quietly beneath the surface.
The Diagnosis That Took Three Years
By the time I started seeking help, I was in a very dark place:
– Severe widespread pain
– Extreme fatigue
– Heavy brain fog
– Constant anxiety
– A deep depression I couldn’t shake
This was happening during my divorce and the isolation of COVID, which magnified
everything.
My GP ran test after test — blood work, scans, investigations — all “normal.” But nothing
about my life felt normal. After three exhausting years, I finally heard the word:
fibromyalgia.
When Medication Becomes a Spiral
My treatment began with:
– Amitriptyline
– Naproxen
– Omeprazole
And I was already on HRT and citalopram.
The amitriptyline dose increased rapidly but not much changed. It didn’t feel like healing —
it felt like coping. After everything I’d overcome —trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression,
dependency — the idea of becoming dependent on another form of numbing didn’t sit right
with me.
The Turning Point: Looking Outside the Box
I started reading fibromyalgia forums — thousands of people, many on heavy medication
for decades… and still in pain. I began exploring alternatives:
1. Chinese Medicine
Acupuncture helped with stress, but the biggest breakthrough was when the practitioner
talked about inflammation and sugar. He described my pain points exactly.
2. Addiction Coaching
My addiction coach explained that sugar and caffeine are two of the most addictive,
inflammatory substances. It clicked. I had removed alcohol. Maybe it was time to remove
sugar too.
3. Nutrition
A nutritionist confirmed the same — sugar fuels inflammation, spikes pain, and agitates the
nervous system.
Removing Sugar: The Shift
The process was the same one I had used for alcohol, it took 20 days in total, including a 10-
day psychological withdrawal. Before removing sugar, my pain was around 6/10 most days.
Within three to four weeks of removing it, my pain dropped to around 3/10 — sometimes
1–2.
Somatic Breathwork: The Missing Link
A friend introduced me to somatic breathwork — deep, body-based trauma release. I
learned:
– Trauma is stored in the body
– The nervous system drives chronic pain
– Breath can release emotional and physical tension more deeply than talking ever could
I trained both as a Somatic Breathwork Practitioner and an Addiction Coach. Today:
– Most days my pain is 1–2
– I regularly have pain-free days
– I am almost entirely pharma-free
– Breathwork keeps me grounded and out of crisis
Where I Am Now: Healing as a Journey
My pain hasn’t disappeared completely — but it’s transformed. Flare-ups are linked to
stress or emotional overwhelm. I’ve been exploring:
– Wheat reduction
– Gentle strength-building
– Returning to yoga
– Continued nervous system regulation
– Combining nutrition + breathwork
My Key Message: Pain Is More Than a Physical Symptom
Chronic pain is often the language of trauma, stress, nervous system overload,
inflammation, addiction patterns and emotional backlog. Medication can help — but for
many, healing requires a mind–body approach.
If My Story Resonates
If anything here reflects your own experience — whether that’s chronic pain, trauma, stress,
or the sense that your body is carrying more than it should — you’re welcome to explore
what support might look like for you.
I offer a calm, no-pressure conversation to help you decide whether this kind of work would
be appropriate. There’s no obligation, and no expectation — just space to talk things
through.