Fatigue, worry, and fear--life events in the narratives of women with fibromyalgia.

In this article we explored narrated life stories of 20 women with a long history of fibromyalgia to reach a deeper understanding of how people interpret the causes and consequences of different life events and illness experiences. Based on narrative analysis, we identified three model narratives that illustrate the different life courses of women with fibromyalgia. In addition, we described a counternarrative that questions fibromyalgia as a chronic disease. In this narrative study, we give insights to the invisible symptoms and unheard experiences that are associated with fibromyalgia and to the ongoing discussion on the etiology and maintenance of fibromyalgia.