Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Related to Childhood Trauma and Stress

re: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Related to Childhood Trauma and Stress

marcella_203 — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:01:19 GMT

I have CFS and Fibromyalgia. I was diagnosticated 20 years ago. I had extreme fatigue, you could not touch me, I would scream. I was poisoned by mercury, had yeast infection in my blood, and I have the citomegalovirus, and Epstein Barr viruses. Everything that you said in you article I had.

But with vitamins, amino acids, all sorts of supplements for every organ in my body, to help them function properly, I took Valerian to sleep.I can now going in trips, walk a mile, enjoy my life, and doing tai chi. I avoid stress and learned to think of me first, because when I get flares (very rarely) I cannot take care of myself.

I must live in FL, because I cannot live in the cold, I get sick immediately. I eat properly, I am Italian and I always ate the Mediterranean diet. I became a vegetarian, and learned to replace the meat with all sorts of beans. I eat goat cheese and have goat milk in my tea. I have allergies of food that I avoid.

In resume I am careful and being careful I am well, and people cannot believe I have CFS.

Viviane

re: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Related to Childhood Trauma and Stress

Dr Who — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 21:47:31 GMT

This is an interesting article. I have a fatigue problem that has plagued me for several years. And I do think it is was brought on by things in my past.

At 2 years old I was running through the house and hit the door jam with my left fore head. It busted open my head and left me out like a light on the kitchen floor. I was taken to the hospital an given stitches. And Even though I am 50 now some times when I get a headache that same spot hurts.

I do believe this made me a forced left hander, and has caused me other problems that are in my life as it is.

re: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Related to Childhood Trauma and Stress

Lovely.Ishtar — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 23:33:39 GMT

I think the main reason people do not recover from CFS or Fibro
is because they are not looking at it from a parasitic stand point.

The cause of CFS/Fibro is often Lyme and its many coinfections.
When it is NOT Lyme it is usually Candida and Mycoplasma.

a 100% raw diet (including protien) restriction of all starches
and sweets, glyco supplements, mineral salts, and glandulars
is what is needed. You cannot mess around with Lyme, you
have to hit it full force with everything you've got. Antibiotic
results are shady at best.

re: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Related to Childhood Trauma and Stress

STP — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 18:30:14 GMT

I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I believe I have had it for years. My doctors would not take me seriously at first. Finally, my gynecologist had me tested for Epstein Barr Virus and my test showed I have the chronic type, which some medical professionals believe is responsible for CFS. I have read that it is inconclusive, however. I do not understand the relationship between childhood trauma and CFS. I did, however, suffer the childhoold trauma of divorce and separation from both of my parents at the age of 2 1/2. There was more childhood trauma as well after the age of 5. A few years ago an alternative medicine doctor looked into my left eye and stated he could tell from something he saw there that I had experienced trauma in my life. It seemed pretty hokey to me at the time. I am now 47 and do not feel terribly troubled anymore about my childhood, however.

re: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Related to Childhood Trauma and Stress

raindropGuy — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 08:15:12 GMT

This is an interesting article, but when I hear things about CFS, I wonder if we're all talking about the same thing.

I've had CFS since I was in second grade (1961), and it disabled me in early 1970. And, while I admit that I had my share of childhood trauma (my mother nearly died when I was 2) and put myself through a lot of stress in high school. However, neither of these were an issue when I developed CFS symptoms. For me, the link seems to be much stronger for an a-typical form of polio.

I was really sick shortly after taking the Sabin oral vaccine for polio, and my life has been changed ever since. On my worst days, there is clearly a viral element to my condition. I have also worked quite a bit with EFT some years ago, and it made absolutely no difference in how I felt.

I would certainly agree with some of Paul Doyon's comments about EMFs, but would hesitate to say that EFMs are the cause of CFS. I had it long before microwaves or cell phones came out. However, I've found that wearing a therapeutic magnet or bio-type diode is very helpful to a wide range of CFS symptoms. Therapeutic-grade essential oils have proved to be a Godsend.

re: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Related to Childhood Trauma and Stress

Canary — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 17:52:17 GMT

I recently have been studying the materials at http://www.wilsonstemperaturesyndrome.com site (also reading the book, taking one of the supplements). I have been trying to get well for the past 12 years (many diagnoses including chronic fatigue, chemical sensitivity (MCS), reactive airways, CNS damage, etc.) after an on-the-job injury where others died or became disabled also. I agree that MCS and chronic fatigue start with a stress or trauma (environmental, physical, emotional or otherwise), as does the Wilson's Syndrome. Dr. Wilson seems to have a protocol for resetting the body's reaction to the trauma back to 'normal'. Maybe it is hope speaking here, but I think he may be right. So far it is really helping me. I'd love to hear from others who study this and/or try this. Thank you.

re: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Related to Childhood Trauma and Stress

IssaquahWellness — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 16:34:24 GMT

Did you know that unresolved emotional stress is a more powerful predictor of heart disease than smoking or high blood pressure! What great research that further substantiates the incredible influence of stress on our bodies!

While I don't discount the harmful effects of electromagnetic "pollution"(if you think about it, the cell phone towers aren't just broadcasting to the person using the cell phone - they are broadcasting in a circular wave through all of our heads regardless if we are on a cell phone - and cell phone radiation is the least of our worries!), I see the devastating effects of emotional trauma(physical, sexual, or emotional abuse) and the effects that a physical trauma can have on patients daily in my clinical practice.

The reason why the body "breaks down" (which is what the symptoms are - the body not being able to keep up with the repairs and detoxification that needs to be done), is because the adrenal and thyroid glands become depleted.

When treatment is multi-faceted, involving amazing techniques like EFT, therapeutic supplementation, detoxification, and protection from EM pollution, the patient is able to heal and recover. Do only one of these things, and the recovery won't last.

What great research that is shedding more light on the importance of dealing with stress!

re: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Related to Childhood Trauma and Stress

Dr-Yoga — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 15:00:09 GMT

I agree with Paul that these studies serve to divert attention from the true causes of CFS and related conditions. While there is great validity to the relationship between CFS and childhood trauma, there is also an equally important relationship between CFS and adult trauma in susceptible individuals. In fact, there is evidence for many conditions -- heart disease, cancer, MS -- of a relationship between trauma and the onset of disease. I think we need to look instead in two directions:: (1) how does stress/trauma impact the individual in ways that make that individual more susceptible to chronic illness? and (2) what are the genetic, environmental, infectious, dietary and lifestyle conditions that contribute to the onset of CFS? We already know a great deal about both, but we still don't know why some people get CFS and others develop heart conditions or Parkinson's. CFS is a neurological disease that we can now attribute to a damaged (genetics and environment) metabolism in which low BH4 contributes to imbalanced neurotransmitters, high peroxynitrate and superoxide radicals and low glutathione -- all of which create a vicious cycle keeping the immune system shifted towards humoral (TH2) immunity, low mitochrondrial DNA, damaged lipid membranes, and the cascade of complications arising therein. Dr M Pall has done important work demonstrating the relationship (in the NO/peroxynitrate metabolism) between CFS, MCS, FMS, and PTSD. Dr. A Yasko has been identifying the genetic SNP's that disrupt the methylation cycle and dependent metabolic processes in CFS and autism. Dr. R Kronyenberg has been explaining the relationship between low GSH and CFS symptoms. We have so many pieces of the puzzle. It is now time for a great synthetic mind to put them all together.
I have personally had CFS 3 times. The first was due to a rapid onset viral infection. I did a lot of emotional work, measured pH, and was recovered in 2-3 years. After I developed PTSD from adult trauma, CFS arrived again with FMS and MCS as well (surely due to the depletion of minerals and oxidative damage.) This time it took me 6 years to recover to 95%; yoga and spiritual practices, as well as nutrition and detoxification played an important role. A wonderful one week raw juice fast was all it took to bring on CFS for the third time, this time with such debilitating orthostatic intolerance that I could barely sit. I no longer had any emotional issues, yet my emotions ran wild like a tumultrous hurricane due to the way this illness affects the mind. Seven years later I am again 95% recovered, this time from working with every imbalance in the body through functional medicine testing, starting from the GI tract and working up to the neurotransmitters with careful supplementation. The miracle of oral stem cell therapy was all my detoxed and well-nourished body needed to get the extra vitality to build new cells. I hope others get the same benefits from oral stem cell enhancers.

re: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Related to Childhood Trauma and Stress

Paul Doyon — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 04:08:31 GMT

I personally think that these kinds of studies only serve to obscure the true cause of CFS - which is the massive increase in microwave radiation in the past 20 years. The first commercial cellular phone networks were set up in 1983 in Chicago and by 1984 most major cities in the USA had commercial cell phone networks. The first major outbreaks of CFS started to appear in 1984. Cell phones went digital (2G) in the early 90s and we saw not only exponential increases in CFS but also Autism, ADHD, and Alzheimer's. Dr. Michael J. Goldberg in California found that in families where a child had autism or ADHD one parent often had CFS and vice versa. Further investigtion found that the bloodwork was often identical for all these diseases - a number of reactivated viral infections (CMV, EBV, HH6V), low NK cell count, etc. Furthermore, Professor Nicolson found that many of these patients usually had mycoplasma infections. Dr. Goldberg calls all of these Neuro Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (NIDS) and has testified before congress regarding this epidemic. The Evidence in Brief 1. The symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome mimic those of what the Russians have termed "Radio Wave Illness" but also known as "Microwave Sickness."1 2. Outbreaks of "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" or "Yuppie Flu" suddenly became widespread in the mid 80s just as commercial cellular phone networks were being set up in the United States and other parts of the world.3 3. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and a number of other similar syndromes (Autism, ADHD, Alzheimer's, etc.) increased exponentially in the early 1990s with the advent and spread of digital (2G) cellular phone technology.4 4. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Autism, and ADHD are found to be more prevalent in countries with a plethora of cell phone networks and electrosmog present while being just about absent in those countries with few like Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, and Laos which have been late to implement cell phone technology. (These disease states are also extremely rare among the Amish - who due to religious beliefs do not use electricity.) 5. Microwaves have been shown in studies to induce Oxidative Damage leading to a decrease in Super Oxide Dimutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione, CoQ10 along with evidence of increased byproducts of oxidative stress to cell membranes, MDA. Oxidative damage has been found to be a major factor in CFS and people with CFS consistently found to be depleted in the above body’s natural antioxidents.7 6. Exposure to microwaves and other EMFs is known to abnormally affect calcium flux into and out of cells. This is also a abnormality found in people with CFS/ME. 7. Mitochondria Disfunction - shown to be induced by microwave exposure - is also an abnormality found in CFS/ME. 8. Red blood cells (erythrocytes) are altered and their count decreased by exposure to microwave radiation. Red blood cells are responsible for transporting oxygen to and carbon dioxide away from cells in the brain and other organs of the body. Lack of oxygen to the brain and other organs can result in brain fog, inability to concentrate, dizziness, and nausea - symptoms found in CFS; they are also interestingly found in altitude sickness due to hypoxia or a lack of oxygen being transported to the tissues in the brain and other organs.11 9. Microwaves have been shown in studies to induce a decrease in the numbers of Natural Killer (NK) cells. Low numbers of NK Cells are found in People With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (PWC), and are thought to be responsible for the reactivation of viral and other infections found in PWC.6 10. In workers occupationally exposed long-term to microwaves a lower value of T-helper/T-suppressor (T4/T8) ratio were found. PWC have a lower than normal ratio of T4/T8. 11. EMF exposure has been shown to effect an increase in viruses, bacteria, mold, parasites, and yeast in the blood of the human host. These pathogens are all commonly found in PWC.12 12. Microwaves have been shown in studies to induce "subliminal" stress causing the adrenals to excrete more cortisone and adrenaline eventually leading to adrenal exhaustion. Adrenal exhaustion is a major factor in CFS.5 13. Studies have shown a decrease 5-HT in the blood of those exposed to microwaves. 5-HT is a precursor to the production of serotonin. Low levels of serotonin have been linked to anxiety and depression. Anxiety and depression are symptoms commonly found in People With CFS (PWC).8 14. Microwaves are known to induce a decrease in norepinephrine levels. Norepinephrine is essential for control of the autonomous nervous system. The autonomous nervous system is known to be affected in people with CFS - and in Japan, people with CFS (PWC) are now often also diagnosed as having the now extremely common Autonomous Nervous System Disorder (jiritsushinkeishichosho). Norepinephrine is also connected with short-term memory disturbances and depression, both of which are found in PWC.9 15. Melatonin production is altered by exposure to microwaves. Melatonin is an antioxidant necessary for sleep. Melatonin is believed to be altered in CFS with irregular sleep patterns and insomnia symptoms associated with CFS.10 16. Dopamine levels are also known to be affected by microwave radiation exposure. PWC have been found to often have low levels of dopamine with decreased dopamine being linked to depression, a symptoms also found in PWC.15 17. Decreases in the hormone Acetylcholine - known to be induced by exposure to EMR - is an abnormality also found in CFS/ME. 18. People with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome usually feel better at night (in spite of sleep problems) - when there are less people using their cell phones and hence less electrosmog.2 19. Some EMF frequencies have been shown to induce restlessness. PWC often complain of restlessness and many have a condition called restless leg syndrome (RLS).14 20. It has been documented that people who have had a cell phone tower installed near their homes suddenly start having the following symptoms: headaches, dizziness, inability to concentrate, memory problems, fatigue, worsening vision, swollen lymph nodes, nausea, and decreased appetite. All these symptoms have been found in people with CFS. 21. It has been found in CFS (and Autism) via SPECT scans that there is decreased blood flow to the brain. Studies have shown that electromagnetic fields (EMF), like those emitted by cell phones, alter regional cerebral blood flow. 22. Microwaves have been shown to alter blood coagulation. People with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome often have a coagulation dysfunction. http://www.bloodjournal.org/cgi/reprint/14/11/1237 23. PWC often suffer from allergies. Allergies involve the production of histamine by mast cells. Microwaves have been known to turn on mast cells to produce more histamine and other EMFs have been to shown to actually increase the number of mast cells in the body. Microwaves have also been found to increase IgE antibodies in people with atopic eczema. 24. Low Blood Pressure (hypotension) is known to be caused by microwave exposure and it is also a symptom found in CFS/ME. 25. Microwaves are also known to adversely affect the heart. People with CFS usually go on to develop heart problems in the later stages of their illness. 26. Studies have shown an adverse effect of microwaves on the eyes. PWC often complain of problems with their eyes and vision deterioration. 13 27. It is known that microwaves and other EMR alter the pineal gland’s production of melatonin and serotonin which - among other actions - regulate the body's biocycles. People with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome usually have a dysfunctional pineal gland. 28. Nitric Oxide buildup - a byproduct of microwave exposure - is also found in CFS. 29. An opening of the Blood Brain Barrier (BBB) - shown to be induced by microwave radiation exposure - is also found in PWC/ME. 30. Six thousand German doctors - many specializing in Environmental Medicine - have signed the Freidburger Appeal - after the government failed to act - since they have noticed a correlation between a microwave exposure by cell phones and cell phone towers and a number of symptoms, many of which are found in CFS/ME. 31. There have been a number of anecdotal accounts from PWC/ME who have cured themselves or eliminated many of their symptoms by reducing their exposure to or removing themselves from an electromagnetic environment. I have personally found that the following have worked for me regarding overcoming this illness: 1. Removing myself from the electrosmog. 2. Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, Qi gong. 3. Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Techniques (NAET) 4. Antioxidants (Vitamins E, A, B, C; SOD, Melatonin, Bee Propilus, Noni Juice, Blue Berries, Catalase, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Coenzyme Q10 etd. 5. Transfer Factor 6. Chelation (Calcium EDTA works well as well as DMSA) 7. Removing all fillings from one's mouth - they are all metals and chemicals and often shut down one's acupuncture meridians in people that are sensitive. peace paul doyon

re: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Tied to Stress, Childhood Trauma

medicineman — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 20:17:37 GMT

I would like to share a case that supports the above, and might help others treating CFS patients.

During my student clinicals I had one CFS patient, who said she experienced 75-85% fatigue, i.e. could only operate for 1-2 hours a day, sometimes "crashing" for the whole day. During the history-taking there were a few gaps in the childhood story, especially relating to the father. I did not probe further, but felt that there were deep childhood issues. This young woman was a university Art student, who had had to abandon her course several times because of her condition. She had had this condition for 14 years, and had undergone a variety of treatments.

I tried to give her ayurvedic herbal medication but her compliance was not good. She also did not do the yoga and breathing routines I recommended. She expressed frustration with her condition; and one day we chatted about this. I suggested that she would benefit from starting with an attitude of acceptance of her condition. For instance, by asking "How could my personal experience contribute to my art?" She said, "I don't want to make people feel sorry for my condition." I suggested that her life condition was not ME or CFS, or any other medical label: what was important to others was her unique experience, her unique insight to life as a result of her condition.

I also told her that her attitude to life was necessarily different from "normal" (her words) people - her life was less complacent, had more edge. This would give her art a different feel. I think this did help her to see her condition in a different way - for instance, instead of trying to lead her life like "normal" people, she organised her activities around her anticipated energy levels.

What she did find most helpful was coming weekly for an ayurvedic massage. For the first few weeks she reacted strongly, with nausea, sharp fluctuations in body temperature etc.; but by experimenting with different herbal oils we found a particular one that suited her. Through the weeks her body responded to the massage with increasing depth of relaxation.

Through the months of weekly massage, several aspects improved; her menstrual periods became less troubling, her dizzy spells dissappeared, her digestion and sleep improved tremendously, she did lots more art, her social life took on a new turn. Her many other symptoms reduced. She was much calmer and self-assured. After 8 months, she assessed her fatigue levels at 45% (4-5 hours physical, social and intellectual activity per day), and was proud to announce that she had completed her university year.

While I could not attribute her improvement to consistent use of any medication, I believe that her changing attitudes to her condition, and the deep care that she experienced through ayurvedic massage, contributed significantly.