Are you recovering from CFS/ME? If so, how are you feeling right now? Are you hopeful, optimistic and positive about your recovery, or are you feeling overwhelmed, doubtful and hopeless?

An Overview of CFS/ME

Causative Factors

Although there appears to have been a massive increase in CFS/ME, there is still great misunderstanding and misconception about the condition.

It appears that the causative factors can be any combination of the following:

• infectious damage (such as viral flu or the Epstein Barr virus);
• adaptive responses to overwhelming stress (from work, loss of sleep, or emotional, physical or psychological stress);
• toxic damage (from pesticides, heavy metals etc);
• vaccination.

Dr Sarah Myhill has carried out detailed research which illustrates how the above creates poor anti-oxidant status and mitochondrial malfunction in the cells of those with CFS/ME. The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell and serves as the primary energy sources for all cellular functions. Malfunction leads to poor stamina and fatigue.

The HPA Axis

Another factor of the condition is the misfunction of the hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal axis (HPA axis). The hypothalamus is the master controller within you body. It controls many systems and functions of your body through your glands, through the vagus nerve and via neuro-peptides, which are molecules which act as messengers.

The hypothalamus:

• regulates the immune system which is our defense against infection;
• regulates the sympathetic nervous system which produces emotional change;
• affects the action of the heart, muscles, skin and gut through the adrenal glands;
• directly controls your sleep function, your internal temperature, your appetite, your sex drive, your physical growth and your tissue renewal.

In health the hypothalamus maintains balance in the body, but in conditions of disease the hypothalamus is unable to carry out this balancing act.

According to Dr Raymond Perrin, leading Osteopath in the field of ME/CFS, for those with the condition there appears to be an overload of the sympathetic nervous system. This reduces blood flow and lymphatic drainage leading to toxic build up in the central nervous system. The misfunction of the hypothalamus is at the heart of the problem: it becomes overactive and sends many of the bodies systems into chaos.

Omega 3 Deficiency

Other evidence of physiolgical disruption in ME/CFS patients is found in the work of Professor Puri. His research indicates a number of key findings for those overcoming CFS/ME, which relate to the metabolism of fatty acids. One finding was around the chemical choline which usually has a gradient in the brain, with more being found in the front of the brain and less in the back. Professor Puri found that in the CFS patients, this gradient did not exist. In fact, the concentration of choline in the back of the brain was as high as in the front. He believes that the increased choline levels are related to abnormal metabolism in membrane phospholipids, the building blocks of all cell membranes in the brain. His study indicates that there is increased loss of fatty acids in the brain in people with CFS, which can be addressed with the supplementation of EPA. He specifically recommends a product called VegEPA, which is available at a discount for those in recovery from ME/CFS.

To learn more about the VegEPA discount scheme for those overcoming CFS/ME, click here.

Brain Wave Activity

CFS/ME has also been associated with altered amounts of slow-wave sleep. In your waking state your brain mainly generates Alpha and Beta waves. Beta waves occur during day time wakefulness, and Alpha waves occur whilst you are awake but relaxing. During sleep your brain switches to Theta and Delta waves. The slower the brain wave activity the deeper the sleep. During a normal sleeping pattern a person goes through four stages of sleep. Stages one and two are when you drift off and go into a slightly deeper sleep. Stages three and four are the much deeper stages, also known as 'non-REM sleep', and 'restorative sleep'. In the deeper stages, the body heals and restores itself, but for those with CFS/ME there is a deficiency of restorative sleep.

Physiological Illness

So ME/CFS is clearly a physiological condition affecting the neurological, lymphatic, immune and endocrine systems, and impacting almost every system in the body. However, there has been much misapprehension about the psychological nature of the illness. It has been wrongly labeled a psychological illness in the past and although it is clearly defined as a neurological disease by the World Health Organisation there is still much misunderstanding in the medical profession about the condition.

This is not helped by the fact that in Western medicine an illness is usually defined as either a physiological or a psychological one. In other words Western medicine takes a very either/or approach to the mind and body.

Healing the Whole Person

At Bodymind Healing a contrasting approach is taken to the mind-body connection. This approach is more in line with Eastern thinking, and also reflects the new paradigm in science. Breakthrough scientific research clearly shows that the mind and body operate as one and are not two separate entities. (See Bodymind Science for more details).

So if we no longer need to separate ourselves into a mind and a body, we can start to deal with healing the whole person. This holistic approach to healing is highly beneficial for those recovering from ME/CFS. There has been so much stigma around the emotional/psychological side of the condition that those in recovery are almost fearful to mention the accompanying depression, despair, fear and anxiety out of concern that they will be branded as having a psychological condition. This has lead to the emotional and psychological aspect of ME/CFS being almost a taboo.

However, the fascinating scientific field of psychoneuroimmunology has shown the connection between the brain, endocrine and immune systems. The field has shown how whatever occurs in your body also occurs in your mind, and vice versa. This leaves the Western dualism of either/or behind and helps us enter into a new understanding of human psychology and physiology. We are unified beings and when we are sick, we need to not only treat the symptoms, but treat the cause.

The new paradigm in science can have an enormously positive impact on healing any disease. It is tremendously empowering to understand that the mind can influence the body and support your road to recovery. Your thoughts, perceptions and beliefs about your illness affect your rate of recovery, and the quality of your life. Of course, this makes perfect sense as we all know that a stressful thought changes our heart rate. It has also shown for many years that even in the most crippling diseases, such as cancer, that the perception about the ability to recover affects the chances of recovery.

Therefore, although ME/CFS is a multi-dimensional, physiological illness with a variety of triggers and causes, everyone can benefit from adapting a solution-focused approach to their healing, whatever their stage of recovery.

Supporting You on Your Road to Recovery

At Bodymind Healing a multi-disciplinary approach is taken in supporting those recovering from ME/CFS. This approach is based on your requirements as an individual. When it comes to ME/CFS, everybody has vastly differing needs. At Bodymind Healing you are seen as your own expert in your condition, and you will be guided to get in greater touch with your body-mind in order for it to heal.

Emphasis is placed on: overcoming the emotional aspects of the illness; creating coping strategies; rebuilding yourself physically; relieving pain; and reconstructing your life. You will be in control of your recovery plan which may include some or all of the following, depending on your needs, and your stage of recovery:

resolving your emotional issues around the illness

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) can help you release your emotional issues around illness. It can also help you release any emotional issues which were triggers at the start of your illness. EFT can help you minimise emotional stress and improve your coping strategies.

Millions of people experience low energy and are variously diagnosed as having Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS, CFIDS), Epstein Barr Virus and the like. While there are medical explanations for these ailments, let me suggest that unresolved emotional issues can be a major contributing cause, if not THE cause in some cases. Anger, for example, can be an enormous tax on human energy as can resentment or frustration regarding jobs and family circumstances. Deep set guilt and underlying fear can also extract their tolls. These are all EFTable items and, in the hands of a skilled EFTer, relief can often be achieved. Emotional freedom, and thus higher energy, is the likely reward.
Gary Craig, founder EFT.

Click here for details of Sasha's unique 5 day national EFT workshop tour for those overcoming CFS/ME. The tour accompanies the release of her book.

pain relief

EFT is amazingly effective for pain relief, and can help resolve pain and illness in the body.

building positive perceptions about your ability to recover

Using PSYCH-K^TM we can assess if you have any negative beliefs in your subconscious about your ability to heal. We can also reprogramme new positive beliefs about your ability to heal. Various other techniques such as visualisation and affirmation are also explored. Inspiring literature and DVD's are also recommended.

relaxation techniques

Breathing and relaxation techniques are particularly beneficial to those with ME/CFS. The disruption in the nervous system makes it difficult for those with the condition to switch off and relax fully, but with effective techniques you can reclaim your ability to relax both physically and mentally.

Remember, your body is a feedback system and when you fully relax you will be sending a positive message throughout your nervous system and HPA axis. Correct relaxation techniques have the ability to slow down the adrenals and decrease the overload on the sympathatic nervous system. Relaxation can therefore help you to take control of your healing.

The practice is also equiped with biofeedback equipment, which enables you to track your body's signals as they rise and fall in synch with your state of mind. Biofeedback equipment can train you to make your heart-rate more coherent, to relax your body with breathing techniques, and to fully realise the connection between mind and body.

CFS/ME and Bodymind Healing

At Bodymind Healing CFS/ME is a specialism. Its creator is Sasha Allenby, international author of the book Joyful Recovery From Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME - Accelerated Healing With Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) (released Sept 08).

Sasha overcame a severly dissabling case of ME, and her healing story has inspired many. She is extremely passionate about helping others to do the same, and has helped many people on their road to recovery with the techniques and practices used at Bodymind Healing. Join Sasha on her 11 date, five day UK workshop tour, where she will share the keys to her health and well-being.

Read Sasha's amazing recovery story here.