Once you know the cause of the illness, it is easy (at least in theory) to fully recover and lead a normal life without having any relapses. In practise, however, it is not always that easy, due to the difficulty (or unwillingness) in recognising the causes of the illness, and the hard decisions that sometimes need to be made in order to recover.
1. Remove the causes of the illness. The cause is usually one or more stressors, such as work stress, relationship problems, excessive responsibilities, or a combination of different stressors. The first step is to recognise the causes of the illness, and then remove them. This can sometimes involve making difficult decisions - such as giving up a job, moving to a different location, or ending a relationship. Usually the illness is triggered by a combination of multiple stressors, such as work, personal or viral. And even after the initial stressors have disappeared, sometimes other factors can perpetuate the illness, such as a belief that you will never recover, not being able to work or earn money, or hostility at doctors or family members who you think are telling you the illness is "all in your head".
2. Build up your life again. In many cases, simply removing the stresses that caused the illness does not result in full recovery. After long-term stress, changes occur in the physical structure and function of the brain which results in the symptoms of CFS. Reversing these changes requires having positive, motivating goals, participating in physical and mental activities, and changing your life so that you wake up each day looking forward to the things you are going to do. The pursuit of important goals, along with the perception that these goals are being reached, is known to be an important factor in maintaining happiness, and it also appears to be the most important factor in recovering from CFS. Also important is having pleasurable/joyful experiences each day. It is important not to try to do too much too soon, otherwise a relapse is likely. Instead, build things up gradually over a period of months or years, and at some point in the future you will eventually be completely symptom free.
3. Avoid the triggers in future. You can live a normal life after recovering from CFS, and if you do the right things you can avoid ever having a relapse. You don't need to remove all of the stresses and difficulties from your life, but you do need to avoid getting into long-term emotional sinks, jobs with excessive pressure, and similar traps. Anger is one of the worst negative emotions for triggering CFS relapses, and should be avoided if possible.
4. Therapy/counselling. While it is possible to recover without any outside help, many patients find counselling, therapy or coaching useful in helping them find the path to recovery. Cognitive behavioural therapy is the only official treatment for CFS. While some people find it helpful, research shows that only a small percentage of patients actually recover using CBT. If you do use CBT, it is important to find a therapist who understands CFS.
A number of people have developed their own therapies for CFS after recovering from the illness themselves. I would recommend Alex Barton, a UK based therapist who has written a book of 50 CFS recovery stories.
Copyright (c) 2003-2009 Mind-Body-Health.net, All Rights Reserved