We Specialize in Treating:

• Mood Disorders
• Depression
• Bipolar Disorder

• Anxiety Disorders
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
• Panic Disorder
• Phobias
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder

• Psychological Trauma
• Abuse
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Dissociative Disorders
• Fibromyalgia
• Low Self-Esteem
• Relationship Issues
• Risk Taking Behaviors
• Self Mutilation
• Unresolved Grief

Fibromyalgia

The primary symptoms of fibromyalgia include widespread musculoskeletal pain, severe fatigue, and disturbed sleep patterns. People with fibromyalgia have extreme sensitivity throughout their body and oftentimes skin. Many people describe a soft touch on their skin as "painful" and their whole body as continuously aching. The pain may be described as shooting, stabbing, or a burning sensation or a more consistent feeling like their muscles have been pulled or overworked. Fibromyalgia includes pain in the muscles, ligaments, and tendons can feel "stiff" or "painful"earlier in the day and in areas of the body that are used most often.

It is also common for people with fibromyalgia to feel excessively fatigued, taking an enormous amount of energy to get through the activities of the day. The degree of fatigue a person suffering from fibromyalgia varies from person to person, and has often been described as a "brain fog", such as difficulty in concentrating as well as bodily fatigue as if one's legs and arms are tied to concrete blocks. Another common symptom is disturbances in sleep patterns, known as a sleep disorder. Most commonly, people with fibromyalgia are able to fall asleep but have a hard time remaining in deep Stage 4 sleep, known as the most restful stage of sleep. Therefore, people often wake up feeling completely weighted down and unable to move.

Other symptoms include irritable bowel syndrome, severe headaches, temporomandibular joint dysfunction syndrome (also known as TMJ). These three symptoms have been found in 40-70% of people with fibromyalgia.

It is estimated that about 2-3% of the general population may suffer from symptoms of fibromyalgia. It has been reported that more women than men are afflicted with fibromyalgia, and that it shows up in people of all ages. Psychotherapy and medication are used to treat fibromyalgia.

At Bridges To Recovery, we explore the underlying psychological issues that may be contributing to the symptoms of fibromyalgia as it is common that persons struggling with these symptoms also wrestle with feelings of unresolved feelings of anger, loss and sadness.