Perfectionist Structure Can Cause Fibromyalgia Disease

Fibromyalgia, a chronic disease characterized by widespread pain, tenderness, trigger points and general fatigue in the muscles, can lead to a serious decrease in the quality of life. Expressing that one of the important factors triggering fibromyalgia is the personality structure, Specialist Clinical Psychologist, Uzm. dit. Merve Öz emphasized that fibromyalgia is more common especially in people with sensitive and perfectionist structures.

Although the exact cause of fibromyalgia cannot be determined, he said that traumas, stress and personality structure are the main factors, Specialist Clinical Psychologist from Yeditepe University Koşuyolu Hospital, Uzm. dit. Merve Öz, “Especially stress; It can lead to the deterioration and suppression of the immune system in our body. In addition, it reduces our ability to cope with pain and negative emotions. In this sense, stress in daily life and beyond that, stressful and traumatic childhood stories are effective in increasing the intensity and frequency of fibromyalgia symptoms. Most fibromyalgia patients state that their pain and fatigue symptoms increase in stressful situations.

STRESS: BOTH CAUSE AND RESULT

your stress; Stating that it is an important factor in the emergence, management and exacerbation of fibromyalgia, Specialist Clinical Psychologist, Exp. dit. Merve Öz also underlined that the symptoms and chronic pain accompanying fibromyalgia also cause stress, and thus the relationship between stress and fibromyalgia is complex and multidimensional.

SENSITIVE AND PERFECTIONISTS AT RISK

Stating that fibromyalgia is more common in people who are more sensitive, emotional, quickly affected by events and have a perfectionist personality structure, Uzm. Ps. Merve Öz said, “These patients are very prone to catastrophic thinking. In other words, they think about the worst-case scenario. Catastrophic thinking style can cause fibromyalgia to occur and exacerbate pain after it occurs. For example, an individual suffering from fibromyalgia pain may think 'these pains will never go away', 'I will not be able to walk anymore', 'I will stay like this for the rest of my life'. Thus, we can say that the stress that occurs in patients with catastrophic thinking is both the cause and the result of fibromyalgia. There is a complex, multidimensional and even vicious circle relationship between stress and fibromyalgia.

IT IS POSSIBLE TO GET SMILE RESULTS WITH COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY

Informing that the 'Cognitive Behavioral Therapy' method is effective in patients with catastrophic mentality or who are perfectionists, Specialist from Yeditepe University Koşuyolu Hospital. Clinical Psychologist Merve Öz says, “Our thoughts determine our emotions, our emotions determine our behaviors, and our behaviors determine our lives. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, by recognizing the negative conditioning and the associated belief system; It aims to show the person the reflection of this belief system on thoughts, feelings and behaviors. In addition to diet and exercise programs in individuals, studies in which Cognitive Behavioral Therapy was also applied decreased stress and therefore fibromyalgia pain; We see that the body is starting to relax,” he concluded.