Chronic Fatigue Cures and Curses  
by Brian Hack

Trying to get rid of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is difficult at best because it is after all chronic, a persistent and lasting disease or medical condition. In this article, I'm going to reveal some psychological, systemic, and economic complications that in some cases lead to alternative remedies.

Take a closer look at this group of chronically ill people, after other illness and disorders are filtered out, and you may discover the shocking reality that this is a group of people who are not mad, are suffering from a serious chronic illness, and are not receiving the help they should.

The medical profession is yet to be held accountable. A significant number of doctors dissociate when patients complain and describe symptoms of CFS. The dark side of a doctor patient relationship is uncovered when a scenario like - 'If I cannot find anything physically wrong with this patient, then there is not anything physically wrong, therefore the patient is crazy. Go away'.

Some CFS patients do not help their own cause especially if they become anti-doctor. By refusing to co-operate, even with doctors who are sympathetic and who are trying to help, the situation is complicated even more by fueling the fire of stigma for all parties.

Consistent with an undisclosed and obscured policy of dissociation, some doctors tend to distance themselves from controversy relying on terms like disorder and syndrome and stay away from words like diagnosis and treatment, especially when it comes to writing reports for insurance claims.

Such conduct is not only contrary to the medical reason to be, it also sets the stage for controversy and differing opinions within the medical community itself. Furthermore, some patients suffer unnecessarily when compensation or disability income is improperly withheld due to questionable adjudication and bureaucratic behavior indicated when the least expensive alternative is chosen.

For example, the language of medicine, and legal interpretation of it, tends to feed money into professional and bureaucratic channels of due process of independent medical examinations and protracted appeals. An obvious result is that the diversion of wealth to the wealthy at the expense of the poor, sick and suffering is never stated as part of any common dialogue on the topic.

Notwithstanding any real or perceived confrontational indicators, a severe social disapproval of personal characteristics or beliefs that are against cultural norms or stigma can be attributed to both parties. It exists in the fact of the result. People suffering from a chronic illness not only have to deal with their illness but also the effects of an anti-social self-serving systemic treadmill that denies, obscures, and dismisses any and all attacks on their vested interest.

"The American Psychiatric Association's considers symptoms such as depersonalization, derealization, and psychogenic amnesia to be core features of dissociative disorders. However, in the normal population mild dissociative experiences are highly prevalent, with 80% to 90% of the respondents indicating that they have had dissociative experiences at least some of the time."

Unlike the circumstances of chronic illness like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome where psychological disorders are known to be part of the symptomatic mix, there is no excuse for the medical community to behave in ways that aggravates the condition directly or indirectly.

Effects of improperly withholding diagnosis and treatment by means of differing medical opinions and in turn used by bureaucrats, employers, or insurance adjusters to also improperly withhold payment of claims further aggravates the condition of some patients. And they get away with it because there are few if any options available to CFS patients whose health is their immediate personal priority, doctor or no doctor.

So while the doctors debate, bureaucrats bungle, and adjudicators play anal, not much is left for many CFS patients to do except seek relief and help elsewhere from those who claim to have a cure or at least brought the illness under better control.

To this end the internet has become a source of hope to some who seek to know how others have discovered successful relief or cure for their illness. However buyers must beware that there is no warranty or guarantee that the information available online meets medical or scientific standards.

Alternatively, it is equally true that while opposition in the medical community is improperly used to withhold treatment and financial support, there isn't much else a person with CFS can do while waiting other than explore the alternatives.

I hope my insight into some of the psychological, systemic, and economic complications that may lead to alternative remedies will also be reason to unite the medical and administrative communities to realize that there is no right way to do the wrong thing, especially to persons suffering from an illness like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

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