Given the lack of clarity around the causes of ME, is ME and CFS Recovery a real possibility?

For decades the causes of ME and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome have been researched and debated without one definitive answer arising and hence no single treatment approach. Although classified by the World Health Organization under Diseases of the nervous system, the clear origin of CFS is unknown. There is no diagnostic laboratory test or biomarker for these illnesses.

Despite best efforts by specialists in varying fields of medicine, no one cause has been identified for these illnesses. Many of these specialists have unfortunately fallen in to the trap of focusing on their own areas in isolation, e.g. Immunology, Endocrinology, Neurology etc, rather than addressing the body as a whole, comprising of different interrelating systems. As such, clear contributing factors often prove to be very vague and treatment options very limited, making ME and CFS recovery a very illusive target.

Complimentary therapies too have often fallen in to a similar trap.
So how then can we address ME and CFS recovery if we are going to impact on the lives of the great number of people suffering from this condition? Rather than trying to find the ‘faulty part’ and in effect, name, blame and tame presenting symptoms, it can be more helpful to identify what is preventing the body’s self-healing process from functioning effectively.

The body’s innate recovery ability is interrupted by stressors of both an internal and external nature. These stressors activate what we know as the fight and flight response. This stress state has an impact on the body both physiologically and neurologically and when present for short term ‘survival’ situations, proves to be a high developed and effective response. The difficulty arises when this state is present continually and becomes chronic; this is known as the maladaptive stress state. The physiological impact of this stress state includes impairment of the digestive and immune systems as well as fluctuations in heart rate and temperature control. The maladaptive stress state in effect puts a halt to the body’s natural ability to heal.

Many people including the You Wellbeing team believe new sciences are paving the way for a leap in the way we approach our health, physically, psychologically and emotionally. Along with my colleague Sarah Marshall, I have researched the most effective approaches known to restore homeostasis in the body to help maintain the body in a state of calm, or healing. In this state the body is more able to restore balance, resources and energy. This work has led to the creation of the Quartz process, an advanced mind-body technique which helps people identify and work with their fight and flight triggers, be they cognitive, emotional, behavioural or social. Using this technique along with along with very clear guidelines as to the different stages of these illnesses sets the foundations for sustainable recovery.

Awareness of the stages of ME and CFS recovery ensures that the right treatment or approach is applied at the appropriate time, e.g. many with chronic fatigue syndrome are advised to sleep as much as needed, however often this provides no relief at all. Being able to identify the more accurate reason for the fatigue will suggest the most appropriate action required.

We suggest to begin with, building awareness of thought processes and presenting emotions becomes key to learning how to calm the system. Start by doing simple gentle breathing exercises for a few minutes each day and whilst doing so, focus internally and take note of the different thoughts and emotions. This will help you to become more aware of your daily internal experience and the issues that would be helpful to address with a qualified practitioner. By addressing these underlying stressors, you can start to remove contributing factors that may have been preventing your body's self-healing process from functioning effectively.