Controversy
ME/CFS has attracted more than its fair share of controversy. Initially, and for many years, there was a debate as to whether it was actually an illness at all. Although the situation is still not perfect, many influential bodies, (The World Health Organisation, the Department of Social Security, the Department of Health, the Royal Colleges of Physicians, Psychiatrists and General Practitioners amongst them) are now in agreement that it is real.
Two major questions now occupy the minds of the people involved – these questions are: “What is it?” and “What is to be done about it?”
While there is a degree of consensus on the different things which can trigger ME/CFS, what then causes it to become chronic has become a topic of hot debate. Loosely, views are split into two schools of thought: one which favours ‘psychiatric’ or ‘behavioural’ reasons and the other (supported by The ME Association) which argues ‘physical’ reasons.There is also an argument which proposes that no such distinction should be made. What also seems possible is that the illness currently defined as ‘Chronic Fatigue Syndrome’ is actually a number of different conditions, all characterised by similar symptoms. (A ‘syndrome’ characterises an illness by its symptoms, not by the underlying disease process.)
The second point, ‘What is to be done about it?’ attracts equally heated debate. Until more information is known, there will remain a wide range of views on how people can be helped. Research into causes, treatment methods and cures continues. Treatment is often aimed at reducing symptoms and can encompass a range of ‘mainstream’ and ‘complementary’ methods, ranging through drugs, homoeopathy, behavioural therapies, acupuncture, diet changes and beyond.
