Can you Heal Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?(Mindfulness, Mental Health, Yoga &Reiki)_

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I'm dead while still breathing.

There is no quick fix; it is a long journey that demands acceptance and resetting your mindset, while building your baseline. You are fixing your battery. 'Slowly & Steady You Win your Race'.

What is ME/CFS?

ME/CFS is an incapacitating fatigue that is nothing like normal tiredness and may develop progressively or suddenly. ME/CFS is an invisible physical condition that affects sufferers on physical and socio-psychological levels. Although the causes are not fully known, NHS recognises four stages of this disabling condition.: mild, moderate, severe, and very severe. Regardless of the stage, people suffer in isolation, which may lead to depression. However, ME/CFS is not depression.

Additionally, the medical world states that there is no cure or that recovery is rare. Precisely, there is not a quick or easy fix. Still, there are ways to get better. I have used Ayurveda, Reiki, Crystals, Yoga, Meditation, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Toby Morrison’s program. I want to share with you how I got better in a year after suffering for 11 years of moderate, and for over a year, severe ME/CFS. I was bedridden and felt like I was dead but alive. During that time my daughter got a home education to look after me. Everything happened in the background of Domestic Abuse (DA) that aggravated my condition. Still, I have survived and got better.

Personality Type A - More Prone to Get ME/CFS

ME/CFS usually affects active people, the personality type A- perfectionists. They’re active physically or mentally or both. I used to be a Fitness Instructor, exercising 8h daily, I also got a master’s in criminology, and I have many hobbies. If you are active like me, then ME/CFS is the worst possible psychophysical torture, regardless of the stage. This torture may develop suddenly, e.g., after an infection or gradually. Additionally, ME/CFS is invisible, so you deal with misunderstanding and undermining by some people and professionals. Because of that, you may be perceived as lazy, which is unfair and harmful because you crave to do things, but your body refuses, plus you do not look ill. Recently I was asked by a stewardess if, I was sure that I needed special assistance. This situation is one of many that I’ve experienced. I reflect that ‘if all sicknesses were visible, MRIs wouldn’t be needed.’

Is there a cure?

NHS recognises ME/CFS and tries to help patients, but the knowledge about ME/CFS is at the stage of knowledge about cancer 60 years ago. There are no tests or medicine. Antidepressants and painkillers do not heal but help to cope with symptoms. When you suffer without therapy, you are in the dark. Additionally, ME/CFS may be mistaken for depression, which is wrong because ME/CFS is a physical, not a psychosomatic, condition. However, ME/CFS may cause depression because you suffer, mostly in isolation; this is like you ceased to exist. You are a prisoner of your body. This is how I felt for years and why I want to share my story about how I have got better. ME/CFS bound me to my house, to my bed. I would describe ME/CFS as functioning on a 10% battery when I was at a moderate stage. By then, I had managed my twins, seven knees operations, university, and DA. However, when I was bedridden, I was on 3% of the battery, and I never charged above. The difference between me and a corpse was that I was still conscious and breathing. Almost dead, I decided to fight the most difficult fight in my life and trust me I went through difficult fights. Starting from fighting for and against my heroin-addicted sister, and an alcoholic father, while my mum had 4th stage cancer. To mention a few. It’s a miracle, but I survived and moved on. I started my career as a Fitness Instructor. Fitness was my way of coping with stress. However, my fitness was taken away from me, after the accident, during which I suffered a knee injury. Still, all the above fights were nothing compared to fighting ME/CFS. My motto is ‘Nothing is a problem while you are healthy’.

No quick fix

There is not a quick or easy fix, but I got better in a year after 11 years of moderate ME/CFS and over a year of severe ME/CFS when I was bedridden. My condition got worse after my 7th operation, which overlapped with the worst abuse from my husband and cat fewer. After participating in several emergency court hearings regarding Non-molestation and Occupation Orders against my ex, I was burnt out. I felt like every cell of my body was dead, paralysed. Thus, I started to research. I needed to find a reason, address it, and resolve it. I came across an American doctor’s article about ME/CFS, and I found answers and understood that I was a step away from being intubated to be fed. Also, I remember that the doctor said, ‘You, will not see those patients at doctors because when they are bad, they are unable to reach a doctor; when they slightly recover, they do not feel like reporting it….’ Hallelujah! This was 100% me. The understanding was truly awakening, and the fear of becoming intubated motivated me to do more research and find a solution.

At this stage of my illness, I called my GP. I was terrified, but I was lucky to have my doctor. I told her that I was ambitious, had a master’s in criminology etc., but I was unwell and didn’t know what to do. I felt so useless and disappointed with myself that I could not work or do anything.

She said, ‘You are a personality type A, like me, I understand, I am sure that you are ambitious etc.’. Her advice was, ‘Whatever you do, have a 30 min break’. I started to do it and slowly improved, but this was not enough. When I felt better, I watched TV till 11 pm, which worsened me. I also started a salad diet, which aggravated my IBS. I know now that you shouldn’t eat raw fruit and vegetables if you have IBS. Anyway, 30 min break after activities was not working for me anymore. Thus, I started self-help via natural therapies, some of them I knew and some I learnt and then I saw a light in the tunnel.

How I got better

Firstly, I avoided what drained me. I quit coffee, tea, cigarettes, and alcohol, and withdrew from divorce procedures (another story about divorcing a covert narcissist). Secondly, I integrated what heals and energises, such as ayurvedic herbs and treatments, crystals therapies, self-reiki, sleeping at 9 pm, a carbs and protein-balanced diet, Toby Morrison’s baseline program and Iyengar yoga. Why yoga? Yoga does not make you tired like other exercises but gives you energy. While bedridden, you cannot exercise because any physical or mental exertion can make you worse. Therefore, yoga is good, and I did bed yoga with alternate nostril breathing and meditation. Those practices energise your body and calm your mind.

Your mind is vital to your healing because your body follows your mind. If your body, mind, and emotions are not balanced, there is no way to heal. I was at a point where in my mind, nostril, I was Jet Lee, who is known to be too quick for a camera to catch his movement. However, my body was worse than my 85 years old grandma, who at least could walk around her house. I was bedridden. I felt like my body and mind were two different entities, my mind was Jet Lee, and my body was a corpse. Still, I was conscious, so, I could do something about my situation. In this case, my personality type A helped, but I had to rewire my all-inner settings and do exactly the opposite of what I used to do, like pushing to the limits. It was the hardest thing for me; however, if you are a ‘couch potato’, then this illness might not affect you that much; you could have the best excuse to do nothing precisely. For me, it was the worst possible torture. Mainly because ME/CFS affected my mental abilities. I used to study for hours while managing my children and life. However, I could read for 10 min daily max at that stage. Still, I did online yoga, reiki courses, CBT, and meditation with mantras, which helped me rewire my settings.

Nature is healing

At some point in my healing, I went to Tenerife. I was meditating and doing Yoga on the beach. I enjoyed the ocean view, the crashing waves, no tv, just nature; I was syncing my body, mind, and myself with my heart. Thus, the environment and climate matter. Recently, my daughter said, ‘This trip done you well’. I did not cure 100% but I got better. Still, managing CFS is a full-time job. In the morning, you check your energy level and then plan and adjust accordingly; sometimes, you must stop everything and rest to avoid a crash. It is a physical and mental challenge to prevent pushing and crashing.

First, help yourself

Although I cannot commit to a job, I manage chores, yoga, and writing. While bedridden, I was unable to answer a text message. I was isolated, but still, I used ME/CFS to heal my soul, ease my mind, and activate my body. I learnt that to help others, first, I must help myself. I am thankful to the highest power for guidance and ask for more assistance in my inner work. I wish you good luck in your path from hell to life.

https://www.theayurvedicclinic.com/

https://www.cfshealth.com/

https://www.centreofexcellence.com/

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