Depression Recovery

Question:

Spirit is that energy needed to cut through the confusion of self-made Illusions. _BOB

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Are you saying that CFS people are fooling themselves into believing they > have problems? > It is unlikely that we will ever know to everyone’s satisfaction. The > problem is that fatigue, chronic or occasional, can be caused by just > about anything, or even nothing, or at least, purely psychological factors > relating to mood, self-image, social role and the like. Of course the > latter are not nothing, but they are not viruses or allergens or whatnot. > However, instead of talking about the pathology, it might be of interest > to people to consider what the normal physical and psychological > parameters are: > -It is normal for an inactive person to feel tired all the time. There is > a vicious circle of inactivity leading to atrophy  and disease and > depression leading to fatigue leading to inactivity. Conversely, there is > a virtuous circle of activity leading to health and perkiness leading to > activity. > -It is normal for healthy active person to feel tired on a regular basis, > for example at the end of every day. That makes sleep easier, which should > then lead to recovery by the morning. > -Everybody needs regular solid sleep to function normally. If this is > disturbed for whatever reason- say for example watching late-night > television regularly- fatigue will result. > -As social animals, we need to feel useful and wanted and productive. If > we don’t, we send out distress signals to gain attention- these signals > can be inactivity and depression and withdrawal, or hostility and > uncooperativeness, or in general any self or other-destructive behaviour. > Again, there are vicious and virtuous circles that come into play. > -since fatigue per se is actually a mood- consider the marathon runner > nevertheless sprinting to the finish line of a tight race- even if there > are direct physical roots to some particular episode of it, such as for > example running a marathon, or even some disease- it can be fought by > psychological methods, such as for example finding something interesting > and worthwhile to do, or companionship, etc. That is not to say that one > won’t feel physically exhausted at the end of heavy labour or as the > result of an illness, and require recovery from them; but instead that it > still possible to be psychologically aroused even when physically tired, > something which is necessary in order to break the vicious circle of > inactivity and fatigue. > —

Wow! Why talk about the "normal parameters" in reference to people that are ill? One of the most frustrating aspects of chronic fatigue is that excersize will exacerbate symptoms.

Response: