Mibrofyalgia

I am a 29year old woman with Fibromyalgia syndrome and schizoaffective disorder (bipolar type).  These two illnesses have made life quite interesting (and sometimes hard).  Some people have not heard of either so I will try and explain a little bit about each one.  I am not a doctor though so this is only from my experience.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic but not life threatening illness which is characterized by widespread pain in the muscles, ligaments and tendons, fatigue, cognitive disfunction (memory problems, concentration problems and mixing up words etc) and a plethora of other symptoms.

Schizoaffective disorder is a mixture of Bipolar disorder (manic depression) and schizophrenic symptoms.  So mood swings from very depressed to euphoric and psychotic symptoms like delusions to hearing and seeing things that are not real.  I take medication for this and am relatively stable at the moment.  I see a psychiatrist every few months and a nurse every few weeks to make sure I’m keeping well.

Before I became unwell with Fibromyalgia 9 years ago I was training to become an illustrator.  I have continued to draw, paint and take photographs since that time and find it very cathartic (although it can sometimes be frustrating!).

I have been a christian since I was young and have found it to be of great comfort and hope.

This blog will include my musings on art, mental health and fibromyalgia.