Beating Chronic Fatigue

by Kristina Downing-Orr

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a common condition that can last for many years. It is a debilitating chronic illness which ruins lives. Every waking moment becomes a physical, emotional and cognitive struggle just to function on the most basic of levels.

The purpose of this book is to reassure sufferers and their families that recovery is possible and that the illness is genuine. It draws on the experiences of many sufferers of chronic fatigue and on those of the author herself. Dr Kristina Downing-Orr, a clinical psychologist, suffered severe chronic fatigue symptoms and was compelled to research the cause of CFS and the cure herself because she was offered so little help by the medical profession. Her recovery was quick and lasting.

In her book, Kristina reveals the causes of chronic fatigue and offers an accessible, scientifically valid, easy-to-achieve programme that will inspire people with CFS to regain their health and restore their energy and vitality. Chapters cover Kristina's own story, what chronic fatigue really is, what causes it, diagnosis, a step-by-step self-treatment programme, how to strengthen the body, and coping with stress and resources.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Self Help

240 pages, Paperback

First published August 5, 2010

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars because I appreciated the mostly accurate info about the disease itself. Nothing new if you’ve done much research, but a good overview if you’re new to the illness.

My concerns.
A) injudicious use of the term “toxins”. What toxins, specifically? Where did they come from? It’s hard to take the approach seriously with this kind of hand waving.

B) too much focus on psychology. understandable, perhaps, as she is a psychologist, but still deeply concerning to those of us who must regularly defend the illness as physical rather than “all in our head”.

C) the idea that you can somehow heal yourself from ME/CFS solely by diet and supplements. Sorry, that’s just silly when you’re so sick you’re mostly bedridden, and you’ve already tried half a dozen diets and your doctor says you eat healthier than 96% if Americans. If diet could fix this, my kids would not be sick.

That said, the specific anti-viral medication suggested does have proponents in the serious ME/CFS research world, and I’ll ask my son’s doctor about it at our next appointment.

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting look at CFS/ME treatment with two practical alternative treatment methods that you can choose between. One involves taking a prescription medication plus various supplements. The other is entirely supplement-based but there are more supplements involved. Both have (different) dietary restrictions.

Unfortunately, either method is expensive to follow because CFS/ME treatment takes time so you might have to be buying all these supplements for about a year, but that's not the author's fault. What she's saying is that they work, where conventional 'treatments' of CBT and graded exercise etc don't.

I have mild CFS/ME. I am mobile and can work part-time at desk work from home. I am going to try one of the treatment methods and will report back after however long it takes, assuming I survive the experience ;)

[Deadcountess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have mild CFS. I am mobile and can work (I have a teaching position at a university so my work requires almost no physical activity although the required intellectual effort can be overwelming at times). But the work takes all my energy and because of the exhaustion I feel almost all the time I'm not able to have any social life and I'm unable to do housework. The illness came gradually and I came from being a very active person training martial arts 4-5 times a week to not being able to walk 15 minutes to work and the frustration that come with it was almost unbearable. The first thing I learned from this book was to understand and accept my condition and to be willing to take the time the healing process will take without trying to push myself. As the medical aproach required a lot of prescripton medicines I've chosen the nutritional aproach. Yes there are a lot of supplements I take, sometimes the amount almost scares me and they're quite expensive. I started about two months ago and I feel better, I still feel tired but not all the time like before and I'm not not able to start any kind of training or taking long walks (even ten minutes walking is exhausting me) but at least I started to do some housework. I'm even thinking about gradually starting easy exercises like pilates. But the most important thing is that now I understand my condition better and I'm willing to take the time my body needs to heal without being frustrated. All in all it works for me as I notice progress.

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have chronic fatigue (as I sit drinking my third cup of coffee that is not touching my urge to nap for 4 hours) but not Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I was hoping for some tips to improve energy and this was official-looking at the library. The premise is promising, with both a medical or a nutritional plan to choose from, each coupled with psychological component. The red flags start to pop up with vaccinations being a trigger, superfluous use of the meaningless word "toxins" and a bunch of supplement recommendations. Here's one example:
" Then, one day, after your newly healthy body has cleared the path of toxins, the viruses have been sorted out and the flow of energy is now reaching your cells, thanks to a healthy gut and circulatory system, you should wake up with more vitality than you ever dreamed possible." Some advice is reasonable, particularly the diet and CBT parts, but the rest is just dubious. And with the timeframe of months to years on the regimen for improvement, who's to say the recovery has anything to do with the program. Not recommended.

[Jayney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative, certianly gave more information than the NHS has. It helped me to understand the illness and what is going on. ME / CFS is a complicated illness.

The advice is straight forward and the supplementation has started to make a real difference for me. However I have made a lot of lifestyle changes as well. I think a chapter on lifestyle would be useful too.

[Valerie (Pate) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not really learn anything that I did not already know about my illness from this book, but to be fair, I have done quite a lot of personal research into M.E. and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. If you have just recently been diagnosed, or have someone close to you that has, then this book is a fabulous source of information.
In addition to providing background into the condition, and giving a very thorough description of symptoms, Dr. Downing-Orr offers her own recovery plan; which she researched, developed, and used upon herself.
There are two recovery treatment options; medical and nutritional, but to be completely honest, I find that they would both be extremely difficult to implement. The medical approach requires you to have a GP that is completely on-board and willing to write you the necessary prescriptions. Also, there are quite a lot of strict dosages and supplement calculations to consider, so if your condition has left you with any sort of brain-fog or concentration haze, you will most likely need to find someone to assist you with the various pills.
The nutritional approach is extremely strict. You would need to be very disciplined from the start if you were going to avoid all sugar, white flour, caffeine, alcohol, cheese, mushrooms, chilli, curry, citrus, peanuts, and more! The author also makes it quite clear that even if you do succeed in carrying out this dietary plan, your recovery may still be a long way off. Everyone's body is different, and so clearing the toxins from your insides and kick-starting your immune system is a great beginning; but still a variable distance from the finish-line.
Incidentally, I know someone who managed to implement this diet, and while she is far from "cured", she does feel quite a bit better than she did before. Whether this is down to her restricted intake or her body's natural healing is hard to say though.
All in all, I think there are still some really good tips throughout the book. It touches upon relaxation, mindfulness, and meditation; which I have definitely found to be good outlets when facing any sort of condition. It also goes into the subject of physical exercise a bit, which is always a tricky issue for Chronic Fatigue sufferers.
I will keep this book on my shelf as a handy go-to guide. It may not have held the secrets I was wishing for, but it is still a great resource.

[Lauren Chase · Rating 3 out of 5]

Offers more detailed protocols than other books I've read. Thankfully, acknowledges that GET is not helpful and can be damaging unless you are actually not sick anymore. Section on activity/ exercise does have useful information. I particularly appreciated the detailed info on "Defining your base rate." It helps you assess your current activity and symptom levels - categories are "no sign of ill health, very mild symptoms, generally mild symptoms, mild to moderate symptoms, stable moderate symptoms, unstable moderate symptoms, moderate to severe symptoms, severe symptoms, highly severe symptoms, mostly disabled, totally disabled." Author then suggests possible activities for each level. Very helpful for self-assessment.

[M.M. Bylo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m reading this book much longer after its publication, so I’m sure there are books with more up-to-date research and best practices. But, this book was a good overview of ME/CFS and covered many topics such as prescription, nutrition, psychology considerations, relationships, etc. It seemed a little over-simplified to me (like this, that, and you’re healed!) but if it’s worked for people then that’s all that matters. I will be following some of the tips and tricks of the recovery program the authors lays out.

[Hazel Louise Asiaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book one that I will refer back to now and again. A Psychologist who has M.E herself so understands completely how to live and manage with it.

[Patrick Westervelt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked how this treated the disease; I also suspect it is a combination of biological and psychological components.

Will revisit this after I try to put some of this into practice.

[Chelsea C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Likely a great resource for those with CFS, I'm just not one of them, and I determined that just based on the book and my symptoms. I also can't get used to the Canadian spellings in the book, either.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish this book had been available when my husband was first told he had CFS. It has given me a much greater understanding of the condition and ways to help him recover and cope.