Lesson 3: Neurosis

9 - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

In the last few years the number of reported cases of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has increased. It is a condition that is misunderstood by the medical community and the general public alike. Many sufferers are given little sympathy because many people perceive that it is an attention-seeking device and the lazy person’s way of avoiding a lot of responsibility. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) affects about 2% of the population, so it is not a rare illness. About 70% of the people afflicted are women. Symptoms associated with the illness include debilitating fatigue that lasts for six months or longer, immune defects, sleep disturbances, low-grade fever, painful lymph nodes, sore throat, chills, headaches, muscle pain and muscle weakness, depression, and inability to perform daily activities.

Doctors have only recently been able to diagnose Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. There are a variety of theories about the cause. Brain scans reveal differences between normal individuals and those with CFS. Patterns of decreased blood flow are shown in the limbic regions of the brain deep in the temporal lobes. Further evidence shows low levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, in the blood of CFS patients. Some viruses that have not yet been pinpointed could trigger the onset of the disease. Clear immune system differences are shown between CFS patients and healthy people.

At one time bed rest was the prescribed treatment for CFS. Nowadays, patients are urged to participate in light exercise, take some antidepressants, and follow a healthy diet with herbs and vitamins. Counselling is also available to CFS patients to overcome depression. There is no cure for CFS; it can last for years.

Although Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a physically-based illness, it is included in the lesson on neurosis because, like neurotic conditions, it affects the everyday behaviour of the people who have it.