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Abstract -
Fibromyalgia is a disorder that affects 6 to 10 million Americans. It is a chronic and painful condition that can currently be diagnosed by specific criteria called tender points and other symptoms common to the disorder. Because of a lack of objective evidence, there is a great deal of ambivalence from those who do not suffer from the disorder including physicians and other providers, family, friends, and employers. This ambiguity causes stigma that interferes with both quality of life and productivity for the person diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Yet there has been relatively little research that examines stigma or identity change or loss and their effects on persons with fibromyalgia. Rehabilitation counselors need to understand this disease and its many ramifications with respect to function and the work setting as they are and will continue serving individuals who have this diagnosis.
Keywords: chronic illness, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, identity loss, pain management, stigma
Fibromyalgia is defined and validated by the Arthritis Foundation and is characterized by ongoing and widespread musculoskeletal pain and weakness, joint pain, and excessive fatigue, and it is diagnosed by the existence of specific criteria called tender points (Clauw & Groner, 2000; Gemignani, 2003; Mengshoel, 1999). Other symptoms or conditions include stiffness, sleep disorders, soft tissue swelling, muscle spasms, affective and cognitive disorders, paresthesia, irritable bowel or bladder syndromes, tension headaches or migraines, dysmenorrhea, vestibular symptoms, restless leg syndrome, temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), chest pain, and various environmental and chemical sensitivities.
An estimated 6 to 10 million Americans are now thought to have fibromyalgia, with age at onset typically from 29 to 37 years (Bennett, 1996; Paulson, Danielson, & Soderberg, 2002; Hyde, 2001; National Fibromyalgia Association, 2009a). The majority, or 90%, of those with the diagnosis are women, but men and children of all ethnicities also have been diagnosed. A fibromyalgia diagnosis is a diagnosis of exclusion - other disorders are ruled out before fibromyalgia is suggested as the diagnosis. While the cause of fibromyalgia is not known, recent research has suggested a genetic component; disruptions in the processes of the central nervous system are also being closely examined. The actual onset of illness is often triggered by some sort of trauma, injury, or a prolonged duration of stress (National Fibromyalgia...