I recently read an article about fibromyalgia and TMS that was somewhere online, probably recommended by someone here, or perhaps on the FB group - and I was saddened by the number of bitterly abusive comments. As elue said, each positive comment was overwhelmed by the negative ones. Not just negative. Outright hateful.
Now, I have noticed that sufferers of fibro, in particular, are extremely bitter individuals. Not only has their condition worn them down, but there is also a strong (and well-reported) association of fibro with childhood neglect and/or abuse - and I have known enough people with these issues to know that they (or rather, their brains!) are very dedicated to continued repression. As a community, fibro sufferers are now focused on some new discovery of a pathology that is associated with the condition, but they still refuse to recognize the FACT that a lifetime of emotional stress and repression is probably the source of the pathology. Yet even the most conservative doctors and research organizations are recognizing how years of constant exposure to the stress hormones can lead to real health problems, and the NIH has reported on a study that showed a significant link between childhood abuse, neglect and trauma to chronic pain syndromes, including fibro. Their minds are closed, and that's all there is to it.
So yes, this is an admirable effort, Jules - but please, be careful out there, okay? As Gigalos said, it's pretty safe here in our supportive community where people have chosen to come together because they have already opened their minds. I don't want you to be brought low by the many closed minds out there in the rest of the world! I see that you've put the SubReddit under Psychology, which has rules, but I've already seen a mind-body discussion with negative and misguided comments (such as "it's b.s. to tell me that I can get better just by being happy" - good grief, where to start? It just makes me tired).
~Jan
