svelt - youve had a lot to deal with too! Those are my thoughts too - that some years of increased, sustained stress does take a huge toll. mine took years before my body finally screamed, "ENOUGH ALREADY - GET IT SORTED OUT!!!" it was a rude awakening to realize that the body mirrors your psychological health - which puts a spotlight on all those coping mechanism that you thought were fairly effective. yes, maybe they were when life was easier and calmer. but when enough crap happens to you (whether by your own fault or not), then things start to break down. i've spent the last couple of years trying to take a serious look when things began to take a nosedive, what part was my responsibility, and finding new ways to cope with difficulty. so the fibro came on after probably about a 5-year, slow progression of increased stress until the relationship problem coincided with losing a job and having trouble getting resituated. kinda like the "perfect storm"! that's tough when several things converge simulateously to throw you for a loop.

I"m going to look into that book. just the title says it all! I hope things begin to look up for you. it's probably true what they say - "this too shall pass", ... if you will let it, that is!

take care.