Be Cognizant of Your Behaviour.

I’ve mentioned this before and some may not be clear with what I mean. I’m not talking about being rude or nasty, but that is unacceptable aswell. I’m talking about the things you are not subconsciously aware of.

Touch.

^{Casual touch can be excruciating}..

This is probably the biggest issue. People touch people. It happen. Even when sometimes you are trying not to. Like on a crowded buss or subway car, especially during rush hour. There’s also touching that you may not be aware of. An intended gentle affectionate touch like a hand on the shoulder could easily cause excruciating pain. While you can’t help the contact on a transit system, you can be aware of how you express affection to someone with Fibromyalgia or any other chronic pain condition. The easiest way to know is to simply ask.

There are times when you will forget. My mom forgets and I’ve had fibromyalgia for over 20 years & chronic pain for another 10 before that.. So if you forget, if you remember as your doing it or right after, apologize. If they mention it to you later, apologize. If they don’t accept your heartfelt apology, then they are just being jerks. But if they don’t comment, then either you likely had very little impact, or they just don’t feel comfortable to discuss it with you. Only you’d be able to tell.

Scent.

There are many scents people react to. Anything from expensive perfumes to little Jimmy’s upturned stomach. Many people with Fibromyalgia, Fibromites, do react to various smells may of them synthetic. As a result we generally can not be around the source of a scent.

^{Longing Perfume. My very first non-allergy reaction to a synthetic substance.}

Perfume, even the expensive stuff is an excellent example. While you may think you are smelling like the bee’s knees, but in fact you could be harming someone else’s quality of life. Other examples include moisturizers, bath products, tobacco smoke and laundry soaps/fabric softeners. Reactions are similar to an allergic reaction and while not anaphylactic it can cause anxiety which could result into a panic attack. So if you must make yourself smell ‘pretty’, Please use a light hand cuz the person with fibro who rides up on the elevator with you at work, would very much appreciate it.

There are some more natural scents that tend to both us as well. I am fortunate that I don’t react poor to natural scents, except onions but that may have more to do with my aversion to onions.. 😆

Sight & Sound.

While not as much you can do about this, just be aware that many of those with fibro also have sensitivites to bright lights & loud noises. So no going into their room to wake them up with opening the blind & the window with a 20 piece band. That could severely thaumatize them – I know it would for me.

Taste.

Well there’s not a lot you can do suits you are not actually feeding them or forcing food down the throat.. lol.. You can simply be aware and take into consideration food sensitivities if you are aware of them. The last thing anybody wants is for someone to spend the evening in the bathroom, stinking it up.

General rule of thumb for me, the more natural, the better.