Sick and tired of being tired and sick?
Chronic Fatigue
Understanding of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) has expanded enormously in the last couple of decades. Although versions of chronic exhaustion have been described for at least the last 200 years including neurasthenia, the ‘vapours’, hysteria and atypical poliomyelitis, there was still a condescending attitude to early sufferers of the disparagingly named “Yuppie flu”, so called because it was thought to happen to professional types who were ‘just’ suffering from stress.
Not all in your mind
There is still no single scientific test to conclusively diagnosis Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and many of the symptoms you might feel are not easy to test for or measure, such as tiredness or pain. This means that it is common to not get a diagnosis or appropriate treatment for a long time after you have started to feel unwell.
But you know that your suffering is very real, and although your symptoms may be made worse by stress, the problem is certainly not ‘all in your mind’. There are both physical aspects to CFS and Fibromyalgia, such as myofascial pain syndromes, biochemical input from adrenal, endocrine, hormonal involvement and stress related triggers from mental or emotional strain.
The main thing is understanding the differences and similarities between:
- An immune system reaction following a virus
- A part of an autoimmune reaction
- Adrenal exhaustion
- Whether toxicity is involved
Why ME?
One thing that is important to understand is that Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) never happens in isolation, but rather is part of a bigger picture. This might be a history of infection treated with antibiotics; a prolonged period of overwork and stress; a sudden overwhelming shock or trauma; a virus when you are already run down and compromised; and so on.
How do I recover my energy?
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is not just about being exhausted. Many of the potential symptoms, such as muscle pain, reduced concentration and anxiety, are actually a result of ongoing inflammation in the body and your immune system reacting to try and cope with that. One of the main diagnostic issues with CFS is to correctly determine this ratio of tiredness to inflammation in you personally, and to tailor treatment accordingly.
We see you as an individual and will tailor make a programme of support that will create the best possible health outcome for you.
