Quote Originally Posted by Purple Banana
I have chronic pain- Fibromyalgia, in addition to a myriad of other health issues

I rarely, if at all, mention "chronic pain" around people I know, especially at work. Unfortunately, not many physicians recognize it as a legitimate issue, and usually the words 'chronic pain' may trigger thoughts from others about opiate addiction, because pain med seekers tend to use 'chronic pain' as an excuse to get the painkillers they're addicted to. I don't use opiates for pain control, but that's besides the point.

I was driving with a few friends once, and I had a really severe back spasm. I had to pull over on the side of the road to regain my composure with a car of 4 people staring at me with mixed looks of confusion... It was pretty embarassing, but I guess they forgot it? I don't get back spasms in public much, but when they do happen, it can be quite embarassing; people tend to think you're either neurotic or a drama queen, when really, you just want to hide in a hole.

I also suffer from Fibromyalgia, as a matter of fact that was my first diagnosis before finding out about the arthritis. It is truly painful and sometimes debilitating. And you are right, a lot of doctors will not recoginize it as a condition, as they would rather say it is all in your head. I know what I feel and I know that if my mind had control over it, I would feel a hell of a lot better than I do.