The Name Game and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

[Guest guest]

The Name Game and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: DSM-5 Revisions Should Be

Openly Debated

By Heisel

March 5, 2012

Schweitzer writes a blog called Slightly Alive that takes its

name from a bit of dialogue in The Princess Bride. With a droll wit

and an acute eye for medical detail, Schweitzer tries to give voice to

the millions of people who suffer from difficult to diagnose health

conditions, such as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). She was an

associate professor of history at Villanova University before a

prolonged illness forced her to quit in 1994. As she described to me:

I have been diagnosed with CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) and

re-diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). I have immune

defects and several sub-acute, active viruses, plus three strains of

coxsackie B. That goes along with significant cognitive and

neurological impairment. At one point I could not brush my own teeth

and spent most of my time lying in a dark room listening to favorite

movies...

The full story can be found here:

http://www.reportingonhealth.org/blogs/2012/03/05/name-game-and-chronic-fatigue-\

syndrome-dsm-5-revisions-should-be-openly-debated