Fibromyalgia – Aargh! How I Got Well
Posted on June 10, 2025 by Debra Burdick
I had Fibromyalgia for fifteen years. Here’s how I got well!
In 1989 I had a miscarriage when I was 3 months pregnant. This was a traumatic loss, especially as it was not the first! Then my doctor prescribed Doxycyline to prevent infection following the D&C which gave me intense digestive pain and chronic diarrhea. This started a 
fifteen-year healing journey through chronic illness and pain. My symptoms were baffling to most doctors and included all-over body pain, multiple chemical and food sensitivities, chronic fatigue, brain fog, chronic sinus infections allergies and more. Doctors didn’t know what was wrong and often told me my symptoms were because I was a woman or due to stress. Ugh! I was eventually diagnosed with Fibromyalgia with its myriad of chronic pain and symptoms.
Ultimately, I was diagnosed with leaky gut and completed a regimen to heal this. Also, surgery to repair a deviated septum helped lessen the chronic sinus infections and repeated rounds of antibiotics. Both conditions undoubtedly contributed to the Fibromyalgia.
Fibromyalgia as well as many other chronic illnesses and chronic pain can often be triggered by an illness, injury or a physical or emotional trauma. But the symptoms linger long after the initial illness or injury is probably healed. Much like phantom limb pain, the brain continues to experience pain and illness even when there is no longer any tissue damage. It gives ‘danger’ signals when there is no danger. In my case I had lots of danger triggers including the trauma of the miscarriage, the leaky gut which allowed foods to be absorbed before being properly digested, thereby essentially poisoning me, plus the constant sinus infections and nearly continuous antibiotics (which were also not helping my gut). And of course, feeling so ill and exhausted every moment.
After the injury to my gut was healed (which took a few years) and my sinus infections resolved, I still had many of the other symptoms. ARGH! This led me to look into ways to heal from within. I discovered that listening to a fifteen-minute progressive relaxation guided meditation would calm my brain and body and reduce my pain like nothing else had been able to accomplish. Meditation really helped but I was still experiencing pain, was often exhausted and was still sensitive to chemicals and foods (although somewhat less so).
When I learned that Neurofeedback could help Fibromyalgia and chronic pain, I used it (I was already a board-certified Neurofeedback practitioner) and gradually most of my symptoms resolved. Neurofeedback is a type of biofeedback on brainwaves and clearly helped me rewire my brain, replacing danger signals with safety.
Throughout my journey through illness, I tried many remedies and encountered many devastating disappointments and setbacks, but I always did my best to maintain a positive mindset – that I could get better and feel good. I learned and developed numerous mindfulness skills that helped me rewire the programming in my brain that the combination of the trauma and physical illness created. I used positive affirmations to imagine safety, health, well-being and gratitude. I learned to advocate for myself at doctor visits and get a more accurate diagnosis. I learned to change the channel in my brain from my illness channel to my healing and wellness channel. I learned to rest when I was tired and to set better limits to prevent worsening symptoms due to over-doing. I reduced stress wherever possible and learned to turn down my stress response. I created healing meditations. And so much more! Using these skills and affirmations helped me function more easily despite feeling ill, kept me motivated to take the best care of myself, and helped ease the pain and exhaustion.
Amidst my frustration and despair at being so ill, I made a promise 
to my higher power: when I got well, I would write a book to help others navigate the challenges of illness and share everything I had learned along the way. Radical Self-Care When You Are Ill is that book. It holds all the skills and affirmations that helped me restore my well-being and set the stage for healing. I wrote it for you—or for anyone you know—who’s facing pain or physical or mental illness. I’ve also shared these same skills with my clients to help them restore their well-being and find a better way to thrive and live a good life despite pain or illness.
Wishing you a positive journey and a profound sense of well-being!
I would love to hear your personal experiences with this topic.
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