Healing From Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Is It a Physical or Mental Condition?

I was talking with one of my clients who has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome on the phone the other day, and she was telling me about her experience of finding a doctor within the mainstream medical world where she lives in Belgium. She needs the practical support of a doctor within the system to help her with her sickness benefit claims, and she would also like a friendly listening ear, within the conventional medicine world so that she feels heard and seen with her illness.

As I write this, I feel how lucky I was when I was first diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I was studying at the time, and this is a condition that students often get (probably at least in part because they are living unbalanced lives and pushing themselves too hard academically) - so my doctor saw a lot of students with this condition, knew a lot about it and I wasn't made to feel I was imagining anything, or that my very really physical symptoms were all in my head. Actually, to me, in the UK, it feels like a long time since the (horrible )days of people referring dismissively to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome / CFS as "yuppie flu."

Anyway, back to my client in Belgium. She told me that in her efforts to find a doctor, she had been to two doctors who specialise more in the physical health of the body - and they told her they couldn't treat her, as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a "disease" of the mind. Then she went to a psychotherapist, who, whilst being incredibly sympathetic and supportive, told her that he considered Chronic Fatigue Syndrome to be a physical condition - and so he wouldn't be able to help her with treatment.

So, this led me to thinking - what is this mysterious condition we call Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, where does it come from, is it a physical illness, or is it "all in the mind" and of course most importantly what do we do to move through it and heal ourselves?

Well, anyone who has this condition will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the physical symptoms are real (all too real.) Brain fog, extreme tiredness, no matter how much you rest, inability to concentrate, pain in the joints are amongst the symptoms commonly experienced. And there are mental or emotional symptoms too - anxiety , racing mind, fear about the future, low mood or even depression. It may seem to some that the exhaustion in the body and the other frightening and seemingly "random" symptoms of this disease are bound to cause low mood, anxiety , fear. And others may believe that the stressed, anxious or depressed mind somehow brings about the physical symptoms in the body.

As an energy healer, and as someone who has seen a lot of clients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, I think the root causes can be very complex. Often, there is a "trigger" like a virus, a trauma or a stressful event. Sometimes, there is an energetic patterning of overdoing things, using the head too much for academic work or office work, living an unbalanced life, or not being fully engaged with life, and therefore not always completely present with what is going on. Sometimes, there is a history of poor eating choices, sugar, wheat or alcohol addictions. I also believe that sometimes it is the soul's way of saying "enough is enough! I want to live a more balanced, fulfilled life."

In the end, everyone who has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is different - and, whilst there may be similarities, the root causes of everyone's condition are different and unique to them.

I believe the important thing is to learn what we can do from our history of illness (and there generally is something to learn in that the way we were living has led to illness), to accept where we are, and then to take proactive steps to heal.

The way I work with people suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome reflects the complexity of the illness, addresses both the energetic aspects and the physical aspects, and allows each person's particular healing journey to unfold for them individually just as it needs to.

I believe that working on both the physical and the energetic level simultaneously is necessary to allow the body and mind to fully heal. The energy work (Integrated Energy healing, and the Emotional Freedom Technique) is very powerful on its own but it is only when the physical body is regaining strength through some physical techniques (such as an activity plan or a nutritional plan) that these energetic changes are really "anchored" in the body, and deep healing is able to take place.