All questions about Fibromyalgia

Isn't it just depression or stress?

No. Anxiety and low mood are more common with any long-term pain, but France's guideline is explicit that this does not mean the pain has a psychological cause.

Frustration, worry, low mood, anxiety and sometimes depression are listed among the symptoms people may have. Doctors are advised to look for anxiety and depression from the start and treat them, because they make everything else harder, not because they explain the pain.

Stress can make symptoms worse, as it can with many conditions. Many people were told for years that it was "just stress" before being diagnosed, and describe how much that hurt.

Sources

• Haute Autorité de Santé (France): Fibromyalgie de l'adulte, conduite diagnostique et stratégie thérapeutique. Recommendations based on expert agreement
• NHS: Fibromyalgia, symptoms
• Healthtalk.org (University of Oxford): Fibromyalgia, early symptoms
• American College of Rheumatology: Fibromyalgia (patient fact sheet)
• Arthritis UK (formerly Versus Arthritis): Fibromyalgia

Reviewed 2026-11-07 · next review 2027-11-07