Lindsey’s testimonial:

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and relationship counselling were utilised for treatment. Treatment included:

Lindsey wrote this letter before her first session

I am writing to you to explain a little or as much as I can about the effects of this illness on my everyday life I was diagnosed with M.E / Fibromyalgia 20 years ago and have struggled every day since. The illness is very distressing, debilitating and inconsistent and unpredictable.

My everyday life consists of continual 24/7 nausea, loud noises in my ears, sensitivity to noise. I have muscle, bone and nerve pains all over my body with a horrid feeling of weakness and exhaustion when I walk or stand for even the shortest while. All of this does vary in severity from day to day and often hour to hour and for the past 16 months have also been struggling with extra chest, neck and arm pain which resulted in 4 rushed visits to emergency A & E where my E.C.G indicated a heart attack about to happen. However, overnight stays and lots of tests later it is being considered that the cause is the M.E /Fibromyalgia, but we are still awaiting blood test results and the outcome of an event recorded (for my heart) which I wore for 14 days. On top of everything else this too has been so distressing.

Apart from the effects that I have already stated I also experience anxiety when I am around more than a few people, I cannot open my door or answer the telephone if I am not expecting someone. I often feel giddy and have fainted several times during the last 16 months. I am very forgetful and find it so hard to concentrate, my sleep is always disturbed through pain and night sweats. I just feel so drained all the time.

I find any kind of stress so overwhelming which makes everything worse and if I am around anyone with colds or virus’s, I become so ill with the M.E and cannot get out of bed. The only way I can clearly describe how the condition affects me is that it feels like heavy flu, bad flu with even more upsetting issues on top.

I know there are lots of people worse than me but the illness is so difficult to cope with, especially as I find asking for help really hard. I do get depressed and upset with myself because it is so out of my control every aspect of my life is affected by it, emotionally, physically, mentally, financially and with all my heart I wish that I did not have to ask for financial help and that I was well enough to work and support myself. It really does upset me so much that no matter what I do I just cannot seem to get better and the pain often makes me cry.

Even writing this letter has exhausted me and I have had to keep coming back to it, but I hope it does help you to see how the illness affects my life in every way. Without my son and my friends I do not know how I would cope, even with just everyday living.

Kind regards
Lindsey
This letter has actually taken me 3 days to complete with help.

After treatment, Lindsey kindly sent me a thank you card...

Lovely Carla,

Thank you so very much for all your patience, understanding and kindness with me during the last few months.
You have helped me to grow and feel safe to be me. I have learnt a lot about myself and my “furrballs” and feel so much better for the understanding of the reasons for my “little girl behaviour” of the past.

When you listened to me you actually “heard” me and your wisdom and advice has helped me to find the real me and to accept and believe in myself as a woman.

It has been very difficult at times because of the illness but your/my “Toolbox” has helped and will carry on helping in many ways.

I thank you, thank you , thank you for all you have “given me”. I know I have a long way to go but through your help I will get there.