...DEFEAT Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: ...............................................................You don't have to live with it
  • Home
  • About
    • This Site
    • Martha
  • Participate
  • Contact
    • Contact Form
    • Submissions
  • Links
  • Book
  • Further Lessons
  • Thanks

ME/CFS/SEID Personalities – The Research

5/24/2016

2 Comments

 
Picture
The question is often raised about personalities and ME/CFS/SEID.  Do we have traits in common that are part of the ‘syndrome’?  We’ve all heard that ME/CFS/SEID patients are usually Type A personalities defined as competitive, impatient, driven and stressed.  For many, the anecdotal evidence supports this association.  I’m a classic example of a Type A.  And you’ll find blogs, articles and endless fodder on the internet attesting to this viewpoint.  But does the research support such a link?

I found three studies that examined the personalities of ME/CFS/SEID patients – let us know if you have found others.

The first, “Personality and Perfectionism in CFS” confirms a personality link.  http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08870440802403863#.U02NwtfD-po

The second, “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and DSM-IV Personality Disorders” concludes that there is no link.   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19073288

The third, “Personality Features and Personality Disorders in CFS”, offers a ‘maybe or maybe not’ association.   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20664306

Not addressing the flaws in the research, that’s a solid ‘don’t know’.  As ME/CFS/SEID patients, we’ve gotten used to the ‘don’t know’ territory.  Our diagnosis is a question mark.  The causality is a question mark.  The treatment is a question mark.  And, of course, our personality’s part in contributing to our dis-ease is a question mark.  Status Quo.

But hard data or not, for me, the path to recovery required that I change my personality.  Being a type A and recovering from ME/CFS/SEID didn’t mix.  I had to not only slow down my body, I had to slow down my psyche.  This required focused retraining.  How are you dealing with personality and your struggle with ME/CFS/SEID?  Please COMMENT on this blog or Send in your thoughts and I’ll post them with your permission.  You can use the Contact Form or send an email to Martha at DefeatCFS dot net.  And Guest Blogs are most welcome!

Look for a weekly posting on Tuesdays.  And consider being part of the conversation.
​
Be Well Again,
Martha

2 Comments
Tim Boland
5/27/2016 01:58:50 am

For me, much more of a type B than a type A, in having my own business, I have found the stress level much higher than I wish it to be. And when there are problems and issues to be resolved, it is difficult sometimes to 'turn it off' after the workday has ended.

Thank you Martha for the timely reminder that I need to continue to evaluate not only how I am feeling physically each day, which I know is key, but also how I am feeling and reacting to situations, and taking more down time to truly relax. For me, it makes a very big difference.

Reply
Martha
5/27/2016 11:05:13 am

It is truly about giving ourselves the space to rest and heal on all fronts. Thanks Tim!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Hello,  I'm
    Martha Kilcoyne

    Welcome
     to our Community!

    After struggling with CFS for four years I am fortunate now to be fully well and making choices about how I want to live my healthy life.  One choice is to be an active part of the CFS community and to offer one voice from the fully recoverd to the dialogue.  I'm glad you're here!   For more about me, here's my Bio.

      Join Our Community
      Enter your email address to
      follow this blog.

    Join

    For Books, Supplements, Sleep aids and more

    Picture

    Archives

    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011

    Categories

    All
    Appreciation
    Attitude
    Being Positive
    Brain Fog
    Choices
    Community
    Connect
    Coping
    Data
    Diagnosis
    Doctor
    Emotions
    Energy
    First
    Funding
    Genetics
    Goals
    Gratitude
    Groups
    Guest Blog
    Gut Feelings
    Health
    Helping
    Holidays
    Hope
    Humor
    Immune Support
    Inner Voice
    Ion Channelopathy
    Irony
    Isolation
    Journal
    Log
    Mantra
    Memory
    Mind
    Negativity
    Nutrition
    Opinions
    Organizations
    Outlook
    Pace
    Participate
    Patience
    Patterns
    Personality
    Perspective
    Protocol
    Provider
    Pushing Too Hard
    Pushing Too Hard
    Record
    Recovery
    Relapses
    Research
    Resolutions
    Rest
    Sleep Depravation
    Step By Step
    Step By Step
    Strategies
    Supplements
    Support
    Take Control
    Take Control
    Thankfulness
    Vacation
    Variables
    Version

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    Copyright © 2011-2012
    Triple Spiral MEDIA LLC