Nasty messages from 'friends' after sharing a condition relating to Mental Health Day

[putheronys]

Yesterday I shared an image on FaceBook about ending the stigma towards mental health, the particular image 'poster' listed quite a few illnesses, depression, BPD, Bipolar.... and it also happened to mention fibromyalgia.

I have two fellow friends that suffer with this condition and both have messaged me this morning, one saying sharing that is beyond the pale, the other suggesting I deleted what I've shared since it makes people think the condition is all in the head.

The thing about the condition is it is somewhat in the head, as it's generally believed by specialist that it's how the brain interprets pain signals, again, a mental impairment really (sorry for my awful wording if that's how it seems).

Anxiety is a mental illness but also has physical side effects, such as breathlessness and fatigue, etc.

AIBU to have shared that post? I'm a bit baffled that they'd attack me with way. Am I really in the wrong here?

@Beveren No psychiatrist or psychologist would claim to be able to treat fibromyalgia.

Unfortunately that’s not the case. I’ve met psychologists, psychiatrists and counsellors who believe people can ‘recover’ from ME/fibro etc and become symptom-free by following their “treatments”.

@zzzzzzzz12345 I am a professional who supports individuals with FNDs.

I am not dismissing at all! In fact in my line of work I enable people with FNDs to apply for PIP etc!

'in the head', people say that to dismiss it as imaginary, but it is not true either of neuro issues or 'mental health issues', they are 'in the brain' rather.

And someing being 'in the brain' either neuro or mental health, is a physical problem

@BlackberryNettles - I'm curious to learn more but very aware that in my naievity I might say stupid things. I hope I don't cause anybody any offence and apologise in advance if I do.

Are you saying that BPD isn't a MH condition then? (I fear i've lost track somewhat. Interestingly/not interestingly that's related to me having brain fog with a temporary virus affecting my CNS!) I'm well aware that BPD isn't the same as Depression so I think I've definitely lost track of what we were talking about 😳🤣

Aren't a lot of MH conditions related to childhood (or adult) trauma?

Psychiatrists do treat FMS, CFS/ME etc. Have a google of pain clinics. They're a mix of HCPs from PTs, OTs & psychs

Your friends who suffer from a debilitating neurological condition have told you that they kindly meant meme you shared is conflating neurological and mental health issues and have asked you to remove it. They aren't attacking you so much as asking you to correct an error. Do the right thing.
You meant no harm but what they are asking is not unreasonable.

People with Fybro can have mental health issues, but Fybro isn't actually a mental health disorder. Just because the brain might misinterpret pain signals does not class it as a mental health problem. Your friends are not unreasonable to ask you to change your post.

XXYY376 that's interesting. I'm on a waiting list to start ACT with a pain psychologist. In my case there was an original organic cause (L4 disc impingement on the sciatic nerve) which is now resolved but for some reason I've been left with central sensitisation. I'm really hoping ACT can help me think about the pain differently and stop me feeling so limited by it.

@XXYY376 Not to derail the thread and I'm sure you 100% believe what you're saying, but generalising much? IME of 4 years of DD with ME, the only people who seem unable to shift from a need to find an organic cause for her condition are the medical professionals.

Meanwhile, if someone could tell me how her perfectly fine MH (which is amazing considering her quality of life so far between 14-18) is preventing her metabolic energy system from doing its job, we'd be overjoyed.

Are you saying that BPD isn't a MH condition then

I guess my point was that if neuro problems aren't mental health issues because they are neurological/brain related(?) then does that mean disorders such as Borderline are also neurological rather than mental health, due to all the physical differences in their brain development that cause their symptoms?

@OnlyTheTitOfTheIceberg do have a read of Reaching down the rabbit hole. Another great book is 'it's all in your head' by O'Sullivan. She in particular talks about 'rebounding pain' which is where there was initially an organic cause but post organic cause the pain and limitations remain. And good luck!

@BonnesVacances- sure ok. If that makes you feel better to think I'm over generalising that's fine by me.

@XXYY376 are you a qualified healthcare professional?

Oh dear. Looks like you don’t understand the difference between a MH and a neurological condition. Apologise for your stupidity and delete the post. You need to think twice before believing crap on SM as fact.

Like what is the difference between emotional and cognitive problems caused by the brain(bpd) that makes them mental health instead of neuro? Particularly as BPD is said to be a life long disorder related to differences in cognition rather than a period of illness that can be "recovered from" so to speak, so psychs will often talk about BPD being "managed" rather than "cured"

@gingersausage yes I am

@BlackberryNettles because BPD/EUPD don't have neurological symptoms in its presentation

Again, not saying Fibro is mental health, just wondering how it relates and trying to understand difference between neuro and mental

You sound very disparaging of patients. Talk of “dr shopping” isn’t exactly the attitude I would want or expect from my HCP.

because BPD/EUPD don't have neurological symptoms in its presentation

But aren't the emotional dysregulation symptoms caused by neurological things (in the brain?), much research has shown how their physical brains are different to control, guess I struggle with the difference

But not a very good one who cares about generalising. Or cares generally (based on her response to me last post).

@gingersausage As I said earlier. I help these patients apply for PIP etc. If anyone has any clue of how difficult they are to claim you'd see that I'm really not disparaging and I'm working hard to change people attitudes to FNDs

@BonnesVacances how can I comment further when I know nothing of your daughter? Hence why I am generalising

I have a genetic disorder but before it was figured out that that’s what I have, I had a misdiagnosis of Fibro from age 15 until age 21, the way people are expected to cope with physical fucking pain by using “mindfulness” and such is disgusting.

I could quite often feel the eyes roll when I said that I have Fibro to various “professionals”, I hated revealing it despite being bed bound for vast swathes of my teen years.

I understand why your friends are upset with this and honestly don’t understand how you couldn’t.

Not to mention that mental health day should really be reserved for actual mental health conditions that don’t get a lot of airtime so that it actually raises awareness and gets people talking who usually would feel that they couldn’t.

I’m pretty sure there is a week dedicated to Fibro, no?