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Table 3 Resilience

From: A qualitative study of risk and resilience in young adult women with a history of juvenile-onset fibromyalgia

Theme

Code

Example Quote

Learning to live with fibromyalgia by embracing the growth mindset

Altering expectations

“Now that I am in a position where I am working from home, I can set my own schedules, set my own pace … I definitely feel like it’s been so much more manageable.”

Actively seeking out answers

“It definitely was a trial and error period of seeing what actually did help outside of medication.”

Self-advocacy

“I’m a very independent person by nature. But, obviously, there are situations when I absolutely cannot do something or just need help. And so I feel like I have gotten a lot better about asking for help when I need it.”

Empathy for others

“It really gives you pure empathy for other people who are suffering.”

Benefit finding

“It’s also made me appreciate small things.”

Self-compassion

“Patience for myself and for other people around me, or like not being too hard on myself.”

Managing FM holistically

Finding effective non-pharmacological interventions

“Just emphasizing that it is multi-faceted. You can’t just tackle one side of it, you have to come around and take a holistic approach.”

Education on the mind-body connection

“It was that explanation [of the pain gate, pain-stress cycles,] that kind of helped things click for me.”

Helpfulness of mental health treatment

“The therapist really helped me realize that it doesn’t matter if I resent my body. It’s still my body, and I’m going to have to make it work.”

Exercising to manage symptoms

“Now I’m better at getting that sweet spot of moderate exercise that helps with all the stiffness, and stuff that doesn’t make me flare up because I overdid it.

Perseverance

JFM is not the end

“There was no diagnosis that was going to stop me.”

Internal resolve to prove capability

“I’m an adult, so I can deal with it.”

Social support and validation

Relief with diagnosis

“I would have constantly wondered what’s wrong with me.”

Validation from others

“You kind of want that explanation or validation like, ‘No you’re not crazy. There is something wrong.’”

Support from others

“Surround yourself with people who are going to keep pushing you, because there are days that you can get really down and out. You need those people to pull you out of it.”