What are your thoughts about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

Question

Do you know anyone with it? What tests are done to diagnose it? Do you think its partly psychological? I don't mean to sound cynical, I'm just not convinced by everyone who claims to have it.

I'm happy for people to prove me wrong though.

Thanks for your ideas so far. Just wanted to point out that I am not criticising at all. I am a Health Care Professional myself and want to get an understanding of peoples experiences. It is being able to listen to other peoples knowledge and opinions thats makes people more understanding. Some of you have very good points.

Answer 1

Yes - it does exist as a real & debilitating disease. What's interesting about your question is the query as to whether it's partly psychological. Conventional medicine always wants to separate a person into parts - you see a gynaecologist if you are female & have trouble with your reproductive organs, a gastroenterologist if you have trouble with your digestive tract etc - and then you see a paediatrician or geriatrician if you are of a certain age. What needs to be understood is that any patient is a whole being made up of physical, mental, emotional & soul - their totality - and it is disturbances in this totality that leads to dis-ease. Therefore any dis-ease of the body has a psychological component - even if that is only anxiety about the symptoms. Because Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has such a profound effect on - usually young people who have responsible jobs - there is bound to be a psychological component. However, this is NOT to say that the illness is all in their mind. Their symptoms are very real and can be suggested by the changes that have been proved to be occurring in patients with CFS. There has also been a case of a woman who died of CFS & her autopsy showed gross changes in her body which was proof that CFS is a REAL disease. I've known a lot of sufferers and the common denominator I have observed is that they were all previously hard working, responsible individuals who are desperate to return to their previous ways of life - but their body won't let them. It's therefore no small wonder that a number of them are depressed. Put yourself in their shoes & then criticise.

Answer 2

I've been battling Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for 4 years now and when I got this system I was probably at the lowest point of my life. I had no energy at all and was in constant pain. I hated myself and hated the doctors who all shrugged it off and told me I just needed to take it easy or that I simply needed to have proper sleep!

This have completely changed my life. Barely 3 weeks on this system, and my brain fog and headaches are gone completely! I can now also manage to go for a 20 minute brisk walk without feeling exhausted.

Free Yourself From CFS, Naturally!

Answer 3

I believe CFS is caused by the Hypothalamus gland going into a state of overdrive. Viruses etc are the result of this rather than the cause.

I had the illness for about 5 years and found something called Mickel Therapy really helpful. Rather than being a type of psychotherapy, it works on a body level, looking at symptoms as honest communication from the body. By teaching clients to interpret an act on symptoms, the body gets the message & can stop sending the symptom...pretty cool stuff.

Answer 4

Its VERY real, & definitely NOT psycological, though medical misunderstanding, & lack of help from the medical proffession do often lead to depression & despair in people who genuinely suffer from this illness...

I'm ashamed to say that I used to read stories in the news, about sufferes, & I was always a little sceptical, it seemed a pretty good illness for someone who was lazy, & just wanted to "duck out" of taking responsibility for there own lifes to adopt.

I changed my mind a few years ago, when I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, my pain specialist, & many other Drs, reckon that ME (CFS) & FMS are likely to be symptoms of the same illness, I know people who were diagnosed with severe M.E., only to be later diagnosed with Fibromyalgia.

& there was also recently in Brighton a young girl, whose cause of death, was listed as M.E., the first ever, & a really sad story.

For me personally to be treat as if I was a hypochondriac, when I was first diagnosed was far worse than ever been diagnosed,
I was a workoholoic, who LOVED my carreer, but I lost it all, I've come to terms with that now, & have learned to live with FMS, & being disabled & thankfully the medical proffesion is finally starting to wise up, & we are treat far better than a few years ago.

I can understand, that its a difficult one for a Dr, yes there are malingeres out there, who look for a label, so they can claim sickness benefit, & sit on their backsides, whilst the state pays............ but please do keep an open mind, & learn about your patient first, before making asumptions,....that its ALL in their head.......it most likely ISN"T

the website below should give you some insight

Answer 5

A lot of people are going around having been diagnosed with
cfs,but in my experience many are suffering from borreliosis / lyme disease-a common symptom is tiredness.
Obviously there could be other causes,but I think there must be some cause,its up to your doctors to help you find the one.
Just getting the diagnosis,cfs,which is often poorly treated anyway is often not good enough-you must find the cause.

Answer 6

I've geard this from a highly reliable source that the metaphysical cause of ME which drains the energy is a situation or person or people placing an unbearable amount of responsiblity or burdens on the person which would psychologically drain the person as the situation or person literally takes all their energy, thus leaving them tired.
Incidentally, prior to hearing about this, I was in such a situation & I suffered with ME badly, I had no energy left for myself to do the simplest things & although I didn't know about this I knew I had to get away from that situation & distanced mysl;ef from it & I got much better but although I still get tired easily & I know on the metaphysical side of it I am prone to this condition because I take on too much responsiblity. However, I still think the physical side of it,that is the yeast infection in the gut has to be dealt with.
That is just my opinion & what I know, but I think what convinces me that I did have it prior to moving out of that situation I was constantly drained but after I moved away from it, I did feel more energized. I do belive people take our energy & sometimes we're not aware of it.

Answer 7

I'm the complete opposite of a hypochondriac (I lift weights, play tennis, softball). But every few months (sometimes every few weeks) I wake up with a feeling of fatigue, a mild headache, a sour stomach. When I get this, I don't feel well on a normal night's sleep. The only way to get rid of it is to stay in on the weekend and get extra sleep (afternoon naps). I had blood and urine tests done and they showed nothing. When I get this, I feel rundown and it affects how I interact with people. It affects how I play sports, because I get tired more quickly. I don't know if other people get the exact same thing, but I'm always thankful (like today) when I feel normal.

Answer 8

Some doctors have speculated that CFS is caused by a virus, related to or perhaps the same one as Mononucleosis. I believe it is a real condition because its effects on the body can be measured. People who claim to have it might be hypochondriacs IF they refuse to submit to a battery of medical tests and diagnosed by a real physician.

Answer 9

Along the lines of what truthseekr says, nobody would submit to all the tests they would be given to rule out everything else before settling on CFS. Some tests are very painful.


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Answer 10

I am a bit of a cynic I have to say. I think that maybe what happens is that someone gets a viral infection or something and then doesn't slow down to get over it and it turns into something more serious like ME.