What is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)?
Although ‘fatigue’ is a common symptom in many illnesses, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is comparatively rare although it is thought that c.250,000 people in the UK have it.
CFS is the common name for a group of significantly debilitating medical conditions that are characterised by persistent fatigue and other specific symptoms lasting a minimum of 6 months in adults. The fatigue is not due to exertion, not significantly relieved by rest and not caused by other medical conditions.
CFS can affect anyone at any time in their life, but occurs most often in women aged between their 20’s and mid 40’s.
Some of the most commonly reported symptoms associated with CFS include:
- Extreme tiredness
- Trouble getting out of bed in the morning
- Feeling ‘unrested’ upon waking
- Irritability
- Sensitivity to light and noise
- Poor concentration
- Severe headaches, muscle tension and joint pain
- Impaired short term memory , sometimes referred to as ‘brain fog’ or fuzzy thinking
- Stomach problems e.g. nausea, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation
- Sore throat
All of which fuel the symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression.
There is seemingly no rhyme nor reason as to how and when it will strike. Some days individuals may feel quite capable and engaged with no apparent symptoms but then all of a sudden can experience an extreme slump in energy which drains them completely and makes even the smallest of tasks unmanageable.
There are those who question its existence, trying to ‘explain it away’ as being the symptoms of something else, but to those people who have been unfortunate enough to experience it, it is unquestionably real. It impacts on every aspect of life – work, family and friends.
What exactly lies at the root of the Chronic Fatigue is less clear. According to Western medicine, there is no ‘cure’ but suffice to say that there is a clear reason for it and other symptoms and there is a path towards getting better.
The biggest challenge for individuals living with CFS to overcome is in believing that they ever will get better. Whilst it is true that the path to recovery may not be rapid, taking some people months or even a couple of years to reach full recovery, it can be done through a range of alternative treatments and therapies, including meditation, acupuncture and homeopathy, which can help relieve some of the physical symptoms and enhance coping abilities.
Counselling for CFS
Counselling can help uncover ways to better manage physical symptoms as well as cope with the many emotional and psychological challenges that living with CFS can bring, both to the individual experiencing it and to anyone with caring responsibilities.
Counselling works by:
- Helping identify ingrained patterns of thinking and behaviour that can trigger a cycle of low moods, feeding an emotional and physical downward spiral
- Suggesting different ways to perceive and respond to your experience so that you can find greater relief during difficult times and be more easily able to find enjoyment, comfort and ease in your day to day living
- Teaching how to be more present in the ‘here and now’ so you are less focused on dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. This helps to reduce anxiety and stress as well as helping with insomnia and symptoms of depression
- Providing you with strategies to help you cope better in managing the symptoms
- Teaching helpful relaxation techniques that can be used when you are feeling tired, uncomfortable or stressed
Whilst the experience is different for each individual, there are certain shared feelings that counselling can help individuals to work through:
Powerlessness
- Being unable to carry out tasks that you used to be able to do can be extremely upsetting. Counselling can help you reach a sense of acceptance about your new limitations
Wanting to go back in time
- Many people with CFS may wish they could turn back the clocks and go back to that time when they could function normally. However, this only leads to feelings of self-blame, compounding the problem and making it even harder to move forward. Counselling can help the individual find ways to keep focusing on the present and working with what can be done in the ‘here and now.’
Worries and Fears
- People with CFS often have a multitude of worries – relationships, social life, financial insecurity and work. These same issues often concern their caregivers, who sometimes try and cover their worries up because they think it will make things worse for the individual with CFS. Mostly though there is the overriding fear that things will never get better. Counselling can help develop strategies to better manage these worries and fears
Self-Blame and Guilt
- Individuals with CFS might blame themselves for their condition and/or their inability to recover from it. They might feel guilty for the sacrifices that other people in their lives are having to make to take care of them. Counselling can help manage these unpleasant feelings.
Frustration
- People with CFS often want to take part in things but their symptoms prevent them from doing so – this naturally leads to a great deal of frustration