Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (Me for short)
is also known as Royal Free disease, epidemic neuromyasthenia, Otago
mystery disease, Icelandic disease, institutional mass hysteria, benign
myalgic encephalomyelitis, post-viral syndrome, and chronic fatigue
syndrome.
The name, Myalgic
Encephalomyelitis (ME), is applied with questionable accuracy, to a
syndrome predominantly affecting women and featuring severe fatigue,
muscle aching and emotional disturbance brought on by exercise sometimes
minimal. This complex is found in many conditions and the diagnosis if
often made by the subject after thorough investigation has proved
negative.
Even though there is now scientific
evidence that Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) is an organic condition
with potentially devastating effect, the medical profession is divided
as to whether or not this is an organic entity, However, there is still
no confirmative evidence that the condition involves inflammation of
the brain (encephalitis) or spinal cord (myelitis) as the name would
imply.
When a person is healthy, she is able
to keep the past in check. When she becomes ill, she is forced to halt
the activity and hence, loses the mechanism that has helped keep her
painful memories at bay. What is especially inconvenient and hard is
that the person has lost this at precisely the time when she requires
all her emotional energy to manage the stress and pain of becoming ill,
with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME).
It is possible that certain events in a
person's past might drive her to develop an unhealthy life-style that
could have played some part in her becoming ill in the first place.
There is some debate over whether particular personality types are more
prone to Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), but there have been no
satisfactory result.
Symptoms of Myalgic
Encephalomyelitis (ME)
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) is a
forme fruste syndrome whose origin could be psychogenic and
physiocogenic in nature.
The psychogenic symptoms include
boredom, frustration, anxiety, over-long concentration, and a dislike of
a particular activity. The physiocogenic symptoms include muscle ache,
high metabolism, and a loss of ability to perform basic functions. These
symptoms of ME fluctuate and hence, it is difficult to diagnose the
evasive condition. Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) can be described as a
psychophysiocogenic syndrome.
ME has some symptoms, especially in
mild cases, that bear similarity to stress-related disorder: fatigue,
muscle aches and pains, fevers, food intolerance and others, and ca, in
the early stages, also be confused with stress itself. However, once
expert examine ME in its entirety, especially the severity of the
fatigue, the common loss of ability to perform basic functions (walking
or standing for very long), the cognitive problems, the muscle, Myalgic
Encephalomyelitis (ME) bears little resemblance to illness caused by
stress.
Physical symptoms:
Muscle aches and pains
Physically weak or exhausted
Insomnia: difficulty to rest and
tendency to over work at times
Common loss of ability to perform
basic tasks, e.g. walking or standing for very long
Emotional Symptoms:
Depression: feeling miserable,
frustrated, sad
Mood swings
Self doubt: feeling lousy about
oneself
Feeling or rejection by family
members and/or friends
Anxious about getting worse
Fearful about the future
Lack of motivation
Loss of interest in studies, sex,
socialization.
Mental Symptoms:
Stress-related conditions:
fatigue, aches, pains, fevers, food intolerance (in the early
stages)
Loss of control of one's own
thoughts: a manifestation of mental disturbance.
