All questions about Fibromyalgia

Is it my fault, or our relationship's?

No. Fibromyalgia has no single cause, and nothing you did caused it. Stress can make symptoms worse, as it can with many illnesses, so how you support each other matters, but it isn't the cause.

It often starts after an injury, infection, operation or emotional trauma, and sometimes with no trigger at all. Stress is one of the things that can make symptoms better or worse.

What you do can help: feeling believed and supported is linked to better health in people with long-term rheumatic illness. That is a reason to keep going, not a reason to blame yourself for the bad days.

Sources

• NHS: Fibromyalgia, causes
• NHS: Fibromyalgia, symptoms
• Kool et al.: Social support and invalidation by others contribute uniquely to the understanding of physical and mental health of patients with rheumatic diseases (Journal of Health Psychology)
• Arthritis UK (formerly Versus Arthritis): Fibromyalgia

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