| Chronic illness used as a tool for transformation in those with fibromyalgia (FM) was investigated. Eight subjects were interviewed, all diagnosed with FM for at least 3 years. Using grounded theory analysis, ten components of their process to transformation were delineated in association with the central category, “transformation to a more authentic self”. Five general areas of change emerged: somatic, emotional, mental, spiritual/religious and social. The final components include: (1) develops somatic awareness, (2) makes healthier life choices, (3) maintains positive stance, (4) reviews past and present psychological life, (5) becomes self-authority, (6) develops ability to gain broader perspective on healing process, (7) supports psyche-soma connection, (8) develops spiritual or religious life, (9) expresses gratitude, and (10) becomes teacher/mentor for others. One additional finding was that onset for the majority of cases was preceded by an identifiable trauma. Another was that most of the subjects in this study no longer consider themselves to be suffering from FM despite a range of 3 to 18 years of having FM. Also, each subject discovered his or her own transformative path; no single method proved to be the solution. |
