Dismissal of chronic fatigue does great harm
JANUARY 15, 2012
IN AN otherwise excellent article on cultural issues in diagnosing
mental illness (=A0=93The pibloktoq problem,=92=92=A0Ideas, Jan. 8
http://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2012/01/08/some-cultures-have-their-own-wa=
ys-going-mad/fSuwCngcHbTpMZdBzSFagI/story.html),
Latif Nasser made a serious error in citing chronic fatigue syndrome
as an example of a mental illness that is a =93Western syndrome . . .
unknown in many countries.=92=92
First, chronic fatigue syndrome is a biological and neurological
illness that is often severely disabling. Medical management is needed
for symptomatic sleep, pain, and cognitive problems. It is not a
psychiatric or mental illness, although there are often secondary
psychological problems, as in other chronic medical illnesses, that
may need psychiatric help.
Chronic fatigue does not appear in the Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders. Unfortunately, the casual repeating of
dismissive (and inaccurate) stereotypes about chronic fatigue in
articles such as this has resulted in great harm to patients living
with this serious and incurable condition.
Second, chronic fatigue syndrome is recognized in many countries by
the name myalgic encephalomyelitis. The recent scientific meeting of
the International Association for CFS/ME, held in Ottawa, had
attendees from 17 countries including Japan, Spain, Australia, New
Zealand, and Norway.
Dr. Alan Gurwitt
Newton
The writer is president of the Massachusetts CFIDS/ME & FM Association.
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