Is there a thread which goes through us all who suffer with this illness. The only one I can find is we are the type who never stop, take on everyone else's problems until we get exhausted. There is very little background to my thoughts and probably has no firm data but it would be interesting to know your thoughts. Do you fit into this group.
Hi retriever,
I'd like to think not : ) as I've been told it can affect anyone, that's what I choose to believe. Also, there was outbreak in a hospital in London in the 1930's I think? wouldn't that suggest anyone? I hope so.
Beverley
Well thats another theory out of the door. Not that a theory helps with recovery.
Yes I do fit into that, if I find something I want to do and I'm passionate about I go about it 100%. I worry too much about other people, and if I find something I want to achieve I push myself to the limits.
I think there's another c%ausial factor though, many of us were on certain medical drugs such as steroids, antibacterials etc before we got ill so I think there may be more than just one reasons for us getting this. In fact I think that environmental factors and medical drugs could lay the ground work of physical decay and then if we get stressed or over worked our bodies crash.
You've got a really good point Beverly but it doesn't rule out the fact that some people get it and others don't.
I don't fit into that category. But there's a much bigger category I do fit into. Those whose onset started with a virus or an infection. I saw statistics recently at a CDC presentation that a large number of people are in this category. But I think that in my case, and many others as well, there were two other issues, along with the virus I got, that caused my onset. I was under a lot of stress when I got the virus, and my guess is that there's also a genetic predisposition that has to be present (which is being studied).
I was a volunteer on a trial they did in hospitals for different treatments to help M.E./CFS and was told that they had noticed that it was mostly the same type of people who developed the condition. Usually people who were perfectionists and had very busy lives before becoming ill. Also what tends to trigger it is catching an infection while being stressed/doing too much. Was told I was a typical case. Used to work 10 hour days, walk home then exercise for an hour. Got glandular fever but still kept trying to go to work, also moving house and relationship breakdown at same time. Body finally packed in, ended up in bed for a year and have never been right since - 21 years ago!
Doesn't fit me. I'd be pretty surprised if something like that were true. Sounds more like an old medical stereotype tbh.
Great question. I am definitely an over achiever except in my head I don't think so. My original doctor asked me a series of questions one of which was, "have you had any childhood trauma?" I said yes. I asked him about that question. He said in his experience this was a common thread. I wonder if that's true? For me and my friend who also suffers, we almost suffer from the same trauma of having a parent who wanted a lot from us. High expectations. It took therapy of course to uncover my personality traits and I guess then for some people it might not even be obvious or clear. I really don't know. The other thing is that it's accumulative stress. And a virus that we all seem to have in our system.
Interesting about genetics, my dad's got ME! And before I got ME i had the worst bout of the flu that I'd ever had; it lasted about a month and I could barely get out of bed.
But I recovered and was really fit and healthy for a while before I got ME. I wonder do these viruses lie dormant for a while? By the way I've wondered about Lyme's disease because I picked up the flu virus while camping in a field.
Elaine before I got ill I used to study from 8 in the morning to 10 at night with no breaks at the weekend, I was obssessed with it. And an ex boyfriend stalked me for a year and it was the most stressful time of my life! I've wondered if the intense studying and him doing that are reason for me getting ME.
But I've heard this assumption so often Fidd and it fits me. They say there's no smoke without fire.
Niki I was violently and mentally abused by my parents and they pushed and pushed me to become a doctor or something equally prestigious. I ended up dropping out to get away from them!
As I mentioned above I had a year of accumulative stress from a stalker and I had a really bad flu virus.
This is an excellent question from Retriever because it's so important to look at our similarities in order to find the causes.
Wow Georgia that's really like my story. I just walked away from a job offer that completely set my adrenals off. I triggered my story around the violence I went through too. Only I didn't connect the dots. Even though I knew I would die if I stayed there (or seriously collapse and spend another 6 months in bed) I still feel like I failed or bailed. This trauma is the core trauma acivitating a life of stress and achievement and not authenticity. It doesn't change anything now to know it except one thing. I know what works for me and I know where not to go. I know it needs to be work that's creative, gentle and easy on my mind. Unfortunately I feel my cognitive ability was fried because of the trauma or at least it feels that way. Thank you for sharing that info. It's astonishing what some of similiarities are.
It's not failing or bailing, it's survival and it's a strong thing to do!
You sound just like me! Was always pushing myself to fill every minute of the days doing things. Your ex sounds a nightmare - would have been more stress on top of what you already do. Am convinced there is link between doing too much and getting ill. I have friend with M.E. who used to work full time during day, teach 2 exercise classes at night and had nightmare with ex who used to beat her up. Her work made her get flu jab and she's been ill since she had it. Also know man used to be athlete who got it. Am having better week. Been sitting out in sun and managed minin yoga session and walk.
"They say there's no smoke without fire."
That's right. They've used that to try to justify prejudices about lots of different groups. This all sounds a lot like talk of a 'cancer personality' that used to be around, and has now been pushed to the fringes.
I definitely agree about the genetic predisposition tendency theory! I also fulfill the "typical" personality traits discussed in this thread.
I am certain that, as with all disorders be they physical (e.g. heart disease, diabetes, MS, cancer etc) or mental (e.g. depression, anxiety, mood fluctuations, schizophrenia etc) or a combination (e.g.CFS/ME), there is a"switch"within an individual that is triggered given a set of certain conditions!
I strongly believe that CFS/ME is caused by a failure of the physiological system that controls energy production but this occurs when an individual's genetic switch is activated further to their increasing inability to respond to continuous "stress"!
The hospital outbreak was most likely related to the fact that the staff were under great stress and there was a nasty viral infection which triggered the switch for developing CFS/ME.
I fit into the virus and never stopped taking everyone else's problems plus having ultra high expectations for myself type ... Paz