Product Description

A self-help book for everyone who feels exhausted all the time including sufferers of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME). This book encourages chronic fatigue sufferers to assess their own level of fatigue, and offers advice on dealing with exhaustion and incorporating these changes into everyday life. There are chapters on understanding the fatigue problem, diet, drugs, improving sleeping patterns and how to plan exercise and resting routines.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #127202 in Books
• Published on: 1995-02-23
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 80 pages

Customer Reviews

ME: Essentially Psychogenic?
While this short sighted and somewhat self promotional approach to treating ME/CFS by Dr Trudi Chalder may well help those suffering from depression or simple fatigue, the book has very little to offer patients who already have a positive view of themselves, their future and the world around them and who are just eager to recover from this debilitating, misunderstood, post viral condition.

James Taylor

Cerebral Hypoxia and spasticity
I followed all the advice in this book. I was really positive. In truth I completely ignored my illness and went climbing in the Tien Shan, the Alps and locally in Cumbria. After each exertion I suffered an increase in spasticity and other severe neurological symptoms. I am now told that the initial viral infection has caused permanent damage to my autonomic nervous system. When I was first ill I was told it was "all in the mind", the approach advocated by Ms. Chalder. Now I have had surgery in the form of a sacral nerve stimulator. I am also waiting to see a neurologist as my consultant feels my happy go lucky approach to exercise coupled with my postural orthostatic tachycardia is causing hypoxia in my brain and this explains my problems with spasticity.

This may well be the most dangerous book on ME/CFS ever written. Charles Poser, the notable Harvard Neurologist defines ME as a vasculomyelinopathy. Chalder completely trivialises a potentially serious disease that if treated in the manner Chalder suggests can cause permanent damage to the brain. Read Byron Hyde's definition of ME, it will guide your physicians in identifying pathology and ultimately help you get appropriate treatment. Otherwise read the book and be ill and happy rather than happy and well.

Patronising
This book was recommended to me when I was first diagnosed with M.E/CFS. I didn't like it!

I found it to be patronising in the way in which it discussed state of mind. I have had CFS/ M.E for 2 and a half years and have had no problems with depression of negative thoughts.

I know that many people with CFS have depression and I believe it is appropriate to address it. BUT for a small book the emphasis is far to much on thinking happy thoughts with practically no mention of other treatments.

Even the title is misleading. The term Chronic Fatigue ignores many major symptoms that people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome suffer from.