Fibromyalgia
Supporting someone with fibromyalgia
Know what to say tonight. Have a plan together in four weeks.
23 situations with what to say · 25 straight answers · a 4-week plan with something to do together each session · 10 cards and plans · with Family: short videos to share with the rest of the family
Reviewed 2026-11-07 · next review 2027-11-07
The 4-week plan
Week 1
Understand and believe
- What's really going on
- A day from the inside
- "But you look fine"
Week 2
Talk
- Validation: the skill that helps most Free
- What hurts, and what to say instead Free
- When it goes wrong, and your own feelings
Week 3
Plan together
- Energy and pacing
- Practical help without taking over
- Flares: make the plan before you need it
Week 4
Family and you
- The two of you
- Children and the wider family
- Looking after yourself
Right now: situation cards
- They cancelled plans again Free
- They're in a lot of pain right now Free
- They snapped at me
- They're crying and I don't know why
- They say "I feel useless" or "I'm a burden"
- A relative says they just need to push themselves Free
- Someone says "But they look so well"
- There's a family event tonight
- The children are asking questions
- There's a doctor's appointment tomorrow
- They want to try a treatment I'm unsure about
- Sex and closeness have stopped
- It's a good day and they want to do everything
- They have a new or different symptom
- I'm angry, and then I feel guilty Free
- I'm running on empty
- Part of me doubts it's that bad
- They talk about not wanting to live Free
- A flare has started Free
- They forgot something important, again
- They can't sleep, again
- They've stopped exercising
- They're struggling to cope at work
Toolkit
- Say this, not that
- Fibromyalgia: myths and facts
- What I need on a bad day
- Our weekly check-in
- Our week: energy planner
- Who does what
- Our flare plan
- Questions for the appointment
- Explaining fibromyalgia to children
- Where to find help
With Family
- Four extra logins for relatives
- Share links to the short videos for anyone who doubts
- A story to read aloud to children
- Letter templates for work, school and family
Questions families ask
- Is fibromyalgia real?
- What causes fibromyalgia?
- Why are their tests normal?
- Isn't it just depression or stress?
- Will it get worse? Will they get better?
- Is it my fault, or our relationship's?
- Will our children get it?
- Why are they fine one day and not the next?
- What is fibro fog?
- Why are they so tired when they've slept?
- What else often comes with fibromyalgia?
- When is it not "just the fibro"?
- What actually helps?
- Why exercise, if it hurts?
- Do medicines help?
- If they're offered CBT, does the doctor think it's in their head?
- Will a special diet or supplement help?
- What about alternative treatments?
- Can anything help their sleep?
- What if they won't exercise or see the doctor?
- What is a flare, and how long does it last?
- Can they keep working?
- What about sex?
- What about pregnancy?
- Where can I get support for myself?
Free to read
The start, two sessions on what to say, 6 situation cards, 7 questions and the card "Say this, not that". Open them in the app; no payment needed.
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