Implications of forgiveness enhancement in patients with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

The purpose of this review is to examine forgiveness as a means to enhance coping with the emotional sequelae of two disorders, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. As with many chronic illnesses, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue often result in a host of negative emotions including, anger, stress, fear, and depression. We contend that learning to become more forgiving may be a complementary treatment to cope with the ongoing stress, frustration, and negative emotions that result from these two conditions.