CFIDS: The Mind and Body Connection

Most people who suffer from CFIDS (Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome) at one time or another have asked themselves, "Am I crazy?" Or "Why doesn't anyone believe I'm sick?" The medical community is to blame for these feelings. Most of us have been dismissed because the answer to our illness is not found in a simple blood test. Most of us with CFIDS have been from doctor to doctor trying to find answers to something that we experience every day that is very real, yet no one will listen to us or believe us.

Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., who is the director for the Annapolis Research Center for Effective FMS/CFS Therapies, gives a great analogy in his "From Fatigued to Fantastic" book. He says, "Imagine calling an electrician because your lights do not work. The electrician checks all your wiring, can't find the problem, and says, 'You're crazy. There's nothing wrong with your lights'. You flip the switches and they still do not work, but the electrician just says, 'I've looked. There's no problem here.' and walks out the door." This is what those of us with this debilitating illness have experienced repeatedly from the medical community. This behavior is totally uncalled for, unprofessional and rude.

What we have is a very real and a very physical illness. But like other diseases (heart disease, diabetes, cancer), there is a psychological factor. There has been a lot of controversy among CFIDS sufferers surrounding the psychological aspects of the illness. If we acknowledge that we do have some emotional issues, then we are confirming the medical community's theory that it is all in our head. Sick or not, we all have emotional issues to some extent.

CFIDS is a very real, physical illness.

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