On this page, you will find info on CFS belief systems.
As a disease, CFS is not 'all in the mind'. However, in order to cope with a orphan disease like CFS, some PWCs adopt a life style. Once a life style also becomes an ideology (by mind control, brainwashing, thought reform, and coercive persuasion), such a CFS ideology will indeed be 'all in the mind'. In the worst case scenario, patients are so preoccupied with psychotherapy that they consider non-believers psychiatric patients or 'collaborating with the enemy'. Since CFS is not a psychiatric disorder, it is irrelevant what patients believe.
[INFO]   Characteristics of CFS belief systems.
  • People that do not refer to CFS as a disease, always refer to a belief system instead.
    Some people create a belief system because they don't know what is real (the nature of CFS) or cannot cope with reality (the symptoms of CFS).

  • People may also have opinions on 'disease characteristics' (causes, symptoms, therapies - things that are relevant to any disease) in order to compensate for the lack of solid scientific evidence (that is: something that can be tested in a laboratory) for CFS.

  • People do not consider CFS a disease because of the lack of solid scientific evidence ('CFS scepticism').

  • People believe quack stories - or dismiss CFS a fad disease invented by quacks.
    Note that quack busters don't consider CFS a fad disease.

  • All belief systems are deterministic (rule out doubt, indeterminism, and uncertainty - there is only one way to live: the right way) and static (no change allowed, conservative, rigid). The main values of CFS belief systems are definitions (CFS criteria), names, tests, and therapies. Quacks are the 'priests' and radical patients are the 'gatekeepers' of CFS belief systems. Popular rituals are medical malpraction and to determine who is a 'real' PWC by 'testing' other patients for their belief in the above values and/or what they think of the objects below (non-believers cannot be PWCs, they are diagnosed 'mentally ill' instead).
    Note that psychotherapy and sceptisism are deterministic systems too.

    • Analysis of CFS belief systems.
  • Definitions.
    • Analysis.
      Analysis is the standard scientific method to explore the structure (nature) of real things or to explore the construction of imaginary things (like thoughts). The object of an analysis is called a 'problem', the result is called 'solution' (a solution doesn't mean that the problem has disappeared but that it has been solved: the structure/construction is clear).
    • Belief system.
      A believe system is a construction that isn't part of the material world.

  • Problems.
    • Step #1.
      A disease like CFS is part of the material world - even if the nature of CFS still is a mystery.
    • Step #2.
      Since the nature of CFS still is a mystery, some patients construct a belief system to explain thier symptoms. They transform something that is real (a symptoms of a disease) into something else that is not real (thoughts that are part of a belief system).
    • Step #3.
      For negative belief systems, these thoughts are not very helpful to cope with the disease itself. It therefore is important to analyse such a system to find better ways to cope with the disease. Analysis is the method to reconnect to the material world and to accept CFS as a disease.

  • Analysis.
    • 'Why'-questions.
      A simple way to analyse a belief system is a set of 'why'-questions that force people explore the way they constructed such a system.
    • Non-medical values.
      Try to identify non-medical values (enemies, quackery, scepticism) in the construction of a CFS belief system.
    • Medical values.
      Try to identify medical values (criteria, tests, therapies) in the construction of a CFS belief system.
    • Determinism.
      Try to identify determinism (people don't accept any change in the 'order' of things) in the construction of a CFS belief system.

  • Solution.
    • Acceptance.
      Once a person realizes the construction of his/her belief system, the system resolves and the reality of CFS itself can be accepted. One may realize that the belief system was needed to deny that one suffers from a dreadful disease. Or that it was suggested by quacks to sell their products.
    • Peace.
      The advantage of renouncing (eliminating) a CFS belief system is that the energy (and money) that was needed to create and maintain it will be available again to do real things.
    • Indeterminism.
      The advantage of indeterminism is that the future is uncertain. So you don't know what will happen if you do real things again. You will realize that determinism, despair, and fear are related - and that indeterminism, hope, and coping with the disease are related too.

    • Objects of CFS belief systems.
  • Belief system.
    • Embracing a belief system is not a good thing because it is irrational.
      No ! A benign belief system might help the patient to cope with CFS.
    • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) addresses the patients belief system.
      No ! CBT addresses attributions (attribute meanings to things) and cognitions (thoughts). CBT models refering to values are also belief systems.
    • Patient organizations advocate negative belief systems and therefore are not very helpful.
      You might check this page to see if a specific patient organization operates within a negative belief system. Note that negative belief systems take a lot of energy and therefore it is hard to discriminate between CFS and neurasthenia.

  • Causes and Nature.
    • I suffer from several causes of CFS.
      The cause (nature) of CFS is unknown.
    • There is something wrong with the HPA-axis.
      Please be aware that the HPA-axis scenario is a model proposed in biological psychiatry to explain major depression. Also the concepts of biological psychiatry are very popular in quackery (orthomolecular psychiatry, psychoneuroimmunology).

  • Diets.
    • I need a diet to deal with allergies and food intolerance.
      No ! There is no proof that allergies and food intolerance are involved in CFS. Your doctor can test allergies; there are no tests for food intolerance.
    • I need a diet to relieve the symptoms.
      No ! There is no proof for a relation between your diet and your symptoms.

  • Disability living allowance (Social security benefits).
    • A Disability living allowance is important for the recognition of CFS.
      No ! A Disability living allowance is needed by people who are sick and unable to work.

  • Disease.
    • There are several types of CFS.
      No ! There are several sets of criteria for CFS. We need criteria (scientific research criteria, clinical criteria) because the nature of CFS still is a mystery. Also, there are different names for CFS (like ME and PVFS).
    • The most important type of CFS is 'ICD-CFS' of the WHO.
      No ! There are no WHO-criteria for CFS. The WHO just lists CFS (as 'PostViral Fatigue Syndrome/Benign Myalgic Encephalomyelitis') in its International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition, the diagnostic code being G93.3.
    • PWCs die from CFS (cancer, heart attack, suicide).
      No ! Just few patients die from CFS.

  • Doctors.
    • My doctor must confirm my belief system.
      No ! It is his/her job to help patents, not to confirm the things you'd like to hear.
    • My doctor won several awards.
      This is irrelevant. It is his/her job to help patents, not to win awards.
    • My doctor is a nice person.
      This is irrelevant. It is his/her job to help patents, not to be a nice person.

  • Exercise.
    • Exercise does aggravate/relieve CFS symptoms.
      No ! Exercise doesn't cure CFS (however, neurological symptoms can be treated with exercise). 'Exercise intolerance' (that is: unable to cope with exercise) is not a symptom of CFS, 'easy fatigability' (that is: reduced performance) is (Holmes et al., major criteria; 1988).
    • Graded Exercise Therapy/Training (GET) is part of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
      No ! GET doesn't have to be part of CBT - it may also be part of physical therapy.
    • PWCs are too weak to exercise.
      There is no method to determine if you are too weak to exercise. The only way to find out is to try.
    • I am too afraid to exercise or to do too much.
      The fear (avoidance behaviour) of inflicting irreversible bodily damage due to physical exertion is called 'kinesiophobia'; fear of mental exertion is called 'cogniphobia'. Symtoms caused by too much exercise is called 'overtraining'; symtoms caused by too much mental activity is called 'burn out' (both syndromes resemble CFS).
    • Rest (sleep) is benificial so exercise must be harmful.
      No ! Healthy people are trained to rest when they are fatigued (and not to exercise instead). PWCs just do what they used to do when they were still healthy. Fatigue (and myalgia) are caused by the disease itself, not by exercise. This also explains why rest or sleep do not relieve fatigue and myalgia.

  • Research.
    • Research is needed to proof CFS is real.
      No ! Research is needed to explore the nature of CFS and to find out what doctors might do.
    • Patients must lobby for grants for CFS research.
      No ! CFS researchers must write research proposals instead.
    • I must participate in a 'scientific research project'.
      No ! Such projects are needed to help scientists, not patients.

  • Tests.
    • Tests are needed to prove CFS is real.
      No ! Tests are needed to exclude other diseases that might explain your symptoms.
    • I need a test to prove that I suffer from CFS.
      There are no tests for CFS.

  • Therapies.
    • Therapies are important.
      No ! There are no therapies for CFS.
    • I need holistic therapies, alternative and complementary medicine.
      Such therapies just don't work.

    • Concluding remarks.
  • This is trivial stuff.
    ...yes, it is...

  • This doesn't apply to my situation.
    ...great...!

  • This is not on CFS at all.
    ...you're 100% right...

  • This really hurts.
    ...you might have a CFS belief system...

  • This is damn CBT !
    ...you certainly have a CFS belief system...

    • [INFO]   Information on belief systems.
  • WikiPedia

    • [INFO]   Additional information.
  • You might also be interested in the topics below.
  • CFS literature
  • CFS quackery
  • CFS science classification system