Anita,

I’m new to this forum and not sure how to reply to your post directly, but your response to Louise regarding her chronic illness has motivated me to join this forum for the sole purpose of responding to your post. I have not fully thought through what I want to say and don’t have much time but feel it is important you know that you are 100% incorrect and I don’t know where you got your information from about anxiety and depression causing M.E./CFS and/or fibromyalgia but it is completely unfounded. It is A SECONDARY SYMPTOM DUE TO THE ILLNESS AND LOSS OF ABILITY TO FUNCTION NORMALLY ON A DAILY BASIS AND THE PHYSICAL PAIN, LETHARGY AND IMPAIRED EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING AKA BRAIN FOG CAUSED BY THE ILLNESS. ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION ARE CAUSES OF AILING PHYSICAL HEALTH and LOSS OF THE LIFE A PERSON ONCE KNEW. IN THIS CASE NOT THE CAUSE BUT RATHER A COMPLICATION DUE TO THE SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE IMPACT ON ALL ASPECTS OF A PERSON’S LIFE. THERE’S NO FACTUAL EVIDENCE BASED ON MORE THAN A SMALL STUDY THAT HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO BE REPEATED THAT CBT IMPROVED THIS ILLNESS BY 90%, THOSE NUMBERS YOU SITED ARE RIDICULOUS AND COMPLETELY UNFOUNDED. I will not argue that any kind of emotional and mental healing helps coping of physical illnesses but again it is not the cause of CFS OR FIBRO. It sounds like you googled it and then repeated something you read. I have living with and doing research on the cause of these illness for more than 10 years and again, although being able to learn ALL kinds of coping strategies to improve quality of life is helpful, it is in no way a 90% improvement. That would be considered a cure. And there is no cure. It is indeed a physical illness and just like anything that causes a person’s life to change drastically not by choice and without control over it, depression and anxiety is common as a secondary symptom. I feel I am repeating… Just to be clear… Please do not offer advice on a subject you know nothing about and make a person feel as if it is all in their head that causes this physical illness. THIS IS THE ONE THING THAT IS REPEATED AS WHAT NOT TO DO!… THAT IT IS NOT”ALL IN OUR HEAD” and that notion is insulting, belittling and nothing more than an old wive’s tale.Yes, again, mental/emotional stress etc can manifest itself in physical ways but CFS and fibro is not one of them. Yes, again, stress management and particular coping strategies help but are not a cure. If it is, it is not true for CFS, a disease at the cellular level or fibro, an autoimmune disease. I suggest you watch the movie “Unrest” on PBS. And Louise, there are many books and websites that teach pacing and getting your body into the Relaxation state, etc, to help improve symptoms such as “The pain survival guide” and many more, please contact me if you need any. Do not listen to ANITA. She is ignorant and promotes the stereotypical outsider who has not personally experienced the pain of chronic illness, especially CFS and/or fibro. Respect a person’s struggle and show compassion. Unfortunately empathy is very hard for healthy people. Understanding these illnesses is near impossible unless you have felt it or seen it for yourself. I have been called a drug addict and have had family members try to explain it away in the same manner as if I have some kind of control over being affected by it and airing in the first place. I myself have tried to find explanations for the cause and done extensive amount of Mental and emotional healing work.I have control in changing how I live my new found life differently because of this illness and I have control over my own happiness even with the devastation of not being able to live normally and loss of dreams. There are many way mental and emotional support as well as CBT but curing the cause, the ILLNESS and CBT itself, is not one of them. Overactive nerves, viruses, trauma, malfunction of converting ATP to energy at the mitochondrial level, etc etc are causes. Little research has been done because people don’t die from it and we are money makers for pharmas and drs but more is being done. We cannot do charities such as walks to raise money because of the nature of the illness. ##Millionsmissing is no joke.

Louise, i can relate to everything you wrote. Plz.contact me if you need resources or support. I understand all the aspects of relationship complications, etc, I’ve been through it all and have an amazing support group that relate to everything you are going through. I’m sorry for your struggles, you are not alone.

Meredith

MeredithSLP@gmail.com