How Enation's Music Is Helping Me With My Fibromyalgia

Music. It means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. Some of us might be reminded of our childhood when a particular old song is played on the radio. Couples have “their song” which could be one that was playing when they first met, one from the first gig they went to together, or the one that they chose for their first dance on their wedding day.

Whatever scientifically brilliant explanations that there are for this phenomenon, there will never be truly adequate ways to describe the feelings of joy, love and inspiration in our souls that our favorite music can evoke. That’s because feelings themselves are so hard to put into words that do them justice. When we feel things right down to our souls, words are just not powerful enough to explain the emotions, what it means to us and how it can heal wounds that have been inflicted upon our psyche by negative life experiences – in my particular case, primarily fibromyalgia.

For as long as I can remember, I have felt pain and fatigue that has made every moment of every day hurt physically and emotionally. It’s a struggle and it’s ever-present. So what can we do if we have fibromyalgia (or any other chronic illness) and we can’t escape the daily struggle?

It’s impossible to completely distract ourselves from pain so severe, and everyone’s experiences are unique, so it’s not a “one size fits all” kind of solution – but I do believe that most people find solace in music. When you find the music that touches you and resonates with you more than any other, it can give you hope. Most of all, it can show you that you’re not alone and make you feel part of something bigger than yourself. Something more than your pain, fatigue and anxiety.

For me, the music that does all of that is by my all-time favorite band, Enation. As well as the healing that favorite music can bring, I also feel that the honest, egoless creativity of Enation inspires my own artistic side, which can tend to be a little dulled by fibro pain and by medications. So, when I can, I draw, I read, I write and I listen. And all of these things make me feel connected to my true self – more than my diagnosis, more than my pain. I have also been lucky enough to find some other fans and have made some wonderful friends. It’s so healing to feel part of a community or friendship group that has things in common that are fun and filled with positivity and hope, instead of emptiness and despair. I owe a huge “thank you” to my Enation Nation friends, and to the band themselves. Together, they help to get me through the dark days and that means more to me than I can ever say.

If you have a favorite band, singer or song, listen as often as you can. Maybe even sing along and send some positive energy out into the world. We all need as much of that as possible to make sure that we don’t lose faith or hope because fibromyalgia is relentless, cruel and sometimes we just need a little break from the fight.‎

Image courtesy of Enation’s Facebook page