| How does ME/CFS start? | | | | symptoms return. People can easily lose trust in |
| There are numerous ways of developing Fatigue | | | | their body and energy levels. This further |
| conditions, including Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome | | | | entrenches the stress - symptom - stress |
| (PVFS), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Myalgic | | | | pattern. |
| Encephalomyelitis (ME) along with Fibromyalgia | | | | Stress response over the long-term |
| (FM). Some common causes include - viruses, | | | | The system becomes depleted when subjected |
| bacterial infections, operations, vaccinations, etc. | | | | to the stress response over the long-term. The |
| The cause can also be connected to a stressful | | | | chemistry designed to help us out of danger |
| incident or period in a persons life. The common | | | | becomes toxic. The immune system becomes |
| factor is that the person's system is under stress. | | | | depleted and most other bodily systems are |
| What is happening when we are under stress? | | | | disrupted. Adrenalin levels can become depleted |
| As a result of entering this state we produce a | | | | after prolonged activation. The dysregulation of |
| cocktail of chemicals - including cortisol, adrenalin | | | | stress chemistry is responsible for more fatigue |
| and noradrenalin. This powerful group of chemicals | | | | and physical symptoms. |
| is also produced during the fight or flight response | | | | So is it all in the mind? |
| - this is the natural process that is triggered in | | | | Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a physical and |
| reaction to a threat - either real or perceived. | | | | debilitating illness affecting most bodily systems. It |
| Many physiological changes occur during fight or | | | | is certainly not all in the mind. However, the type |
| flight | | | | of approaches to recovery that are purely |
| The sympathetic branch of the nervous system | | | | physical, or that focus on specific symptoms are |
| is responsible for a number of changes. Blood | | | | unlikely to work. What's needed is a recognition |
| pressure and heart rate increase in order to bring | | | | that the triggers to these physiological responses |
| additional fuel to the major muscles groups. | | | | take place in the mind. Until we address these |
| Thyroid and blood sugar levels are affected. | | | | patterns, a full and lasting recovery is not likely. |
| Functions that aren't essential including digestion | | | | How can these cycles be broken? |
| and immune system are shut down to allow | | | | It is possible to break free of these cycles and it |
| increased energy for emergency systems. | | | | can be done quickly, given the right tools. |
| How are the stress response and Chronic Fatigue | | | | Fortunately, the length of time of the illness does |
| Syndrome connected? | | | | not determine the length of the recovery time. |
| The system is under stress due to the initial bug, | | | | What's needed is an understanding of the mind - |
| virus, vaccination, trauma etc. There may have | | | | body connection and an insight into the damaging |
| been additional stressors present or the sufferer | | | | unconscious cycles. We can then learn to use new |
| could have been run-down already. This would | | | | physical and cognitive strategies that influence our |
| prolong the recovery period. The sufferer may | | | | health in a positive way. |
| then become concerned at their slow recovery, | | | | Health is buoyant! |
| which results in more stress. This depletes the | | | | Sufferers of fatigue related conditions can |
| already challenged immune system, further | | | | typically feel broken or flawed in some way. |
| slowing the recovery process. | | | | Although the physical symptoms can be so |
| Seeking Help | | | | severe that it feels as if this is so, this is not the |
| Sufferers typically seek help from their doctors | | | | case. Human health is incredibly buoyant, it is just |
| who run tests for other ailments. The test results | | | | necessary to discover what is in the way. Once |
| are negative but the symptoms persist. Sufferers | | | | we can bring balance to the system, we can |
| often try alternative approaches. Sometimes | | | | create the opportunity for energy to return and |
| these give temporary relief, but once again the | | | | physical symptoms to naturally resolve. |