CFIDS Not a Funny Disease

[Guest guest]

Legless people, chemotherapy patients, cerbral palsy victims, AIDS sufferers

would not be subjected to an affront like this. It is time we start class

action suing for this kind of thing. I am appalled---I don't have CFS--but

this type of BS degrades that writer--as well as causing untold social harm.

I am sickened.

M

[Guest guest]

(What is really spooky is that the webpage this article appeared on had an

advertisement for " Incline Village " at the bottom - believe it or not)

The San Francisco Chronicle

January 16, 2000

LETTERS TO CHRONICLE SUNDAY

NO HUMOR IN TRUE ILLNESS

Editor -- In Chalmers' piece " Contemporary Madness " (January 9), he

likens myalgic encephelomyelitis ( " Chronic Fatigue Syndrome " ) to a form of

" ennui, " on a par with such ailments as " fashion victim " and " messy desk

syndrome. " Why let the hilarity stop there? AIDS, cancer, and many other

severely debilitating illnesses are also ripe opportunities for ridicule;

don't let the yuck-fest end with the 1 million people worldwide who suffer

daily from the multiple impacts of this medical syndrome.

And no, I am not impressed by Mr. Chalmers' apology-in-advance: If you know

that what you're doing is extremely offensive, and proceed to do it anyway,

why apologize?

JOAN ROULEAU

Berkeley

SUFFERING IS NOT FIGMENT OF IMAGINATION

Editor -- After reading this article on your Web site, I am amazed that an

organization such as The San Francisco Chronicle would allow such a

blatantly insensitive piece to appear in association with their name. This

article attempts to take conditions that many people suffer with every day

and trivialize them as if they were simply part of their imagination. It is

that type of intolerant attitude that has pushed a part of our society

aside. I believe that you owe the public, especially those who live with

these challenges, a HUGE apology.

ED MORGAN

Houston, Texas

..

CHRONIC FATIGUE IS A SERIOUS MATTER

Editor -- I'm told that D. Chalmers described Chronic Fatigue

Syndrome as " The ennui that millions of yuppies are said to suffer from.

Cure: Group therapy with A.D.D. sufferers and visiting Starbucks three times

a day. "

This is particularly offensive. My wife has Chronic Fatigue and I've had to

live with her writhing in pain and puking her guts out. This type of thing

has gone on for five years. Sir, this is no laughing matter. Mr. Chalmers

needs to understand this.

PHIL LOGAN-KELLY

Toledo, Ore.

..

'YUPPIE FLU' AFFECTS CHILDREN AND THE POOR

Editor - I am president of the Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome

(CFIDS) Network, Inc. We are a nonprofit educational corporation. Our

mission is to educate patients, health care givers and the general public

about this illness. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a debilitating,

career-wrecking illness which afflicts about 5 percent of the U.S.

population. While it is glibly referred to as " yuppie flu, " children and the

poor are as likely to have CFS as the upper middle class. The symptoms are

almost identical to those who suffer from leukemia.

Perhaps your newspaper would also find it appropriate to write another

" humor piece " about a " Breakthrough leukemia cure: Group therapy with A.D.D.

sufferers and visiting Starbucks three times a day. " No doubt this will have

you and Chalmers rolling on the floor laughing at the prospects!!!

RONALD G. SMITH

Greenville, S.C.

CALLOUS CAD

Editor -- Mr. D. Chalmers, perhaps you are suffering from the mental

illness called Callous Journalist Syndrome: Enjoy a laugh at the expense of

others (Sunday, January 9). That's so '90s. Cure: group therapy with Chronic

Fatigue Syndrome, and Seasonal Affective Disorder sufferers. We meet at

Starbucks. I do believe I don't accept your apology.

DONNA KUHN

Aptos

" Contemporary Madness "

D. Chalmers Sunday, January 9, 2000

THE NATIONAL DEBATE raging about mental illness being covered by traditional

health insurance, could not have come at a better time. With millennium

madness, road rage and sex addiction in the news daily and the National

Institutes of Mental Health reporting that 1 in 3 of us can expect to suffer

some type of mental illness during our lifetimes, and Tipper Gore and Mike

Wallace admitting to prior mental illnesses, the great debate has begun.

With a hefty $80 billion price tag, psychologists, behaviorists and

therapist are busy categorizing the maladies and proposing cures. Needless

to say, offering insight into the craziness of our times is a slippery task,

but one way to start would be to help diagnose a few of them. The Center for

Anxiety Management counts over 300 Post-Industrial Age disorders, syndromes

and addictions!

Remember, I am not a licensed practitioner and at the risk of being publicly

vilified, and worse, being labeled somewhat insensitive, I profoundly

apologize in advance to all the suffers of the following:

Air Rage: unstable behavior caused by delayed flights, cramped conditions

and free booze.

Treatment: Scream Therapy and extra frequent-flier miles.

Info Addiction: a mania resulting from plugging into the 24/7 hyperculture.

Cure: Aroma-therapy and a free year's subscription to the National Enquirer.

Performance Anxiety: A psychosomatic condition that sensitive men suffer

from.

Rx: De-sensitivity training and Viagra . . .18 million satisfied customers

can't be wrong!

Compassionate Conservatism: A delusional fantasy occurring when just being a

conservative isn't enough anymore.

Cure: Attending a Rebel support group and passing more corporate welfare

programs!

Political Promise Overload: Conditions include a catatonic stupor that

distressed voters will suffer from for the next year.

Rx: Passing campaign finance reform legislation and forming a real third

party.

Fashion Victim: typically a female affliction caused by reading way too many

magazines.

Treatment: Attending the annual Fashion Victims Anonymous Fashion Show.

Urgency Addiction: a mania which is the result of multitasking and too many

AOL Instant Messages.

Therapy: Practice yoga and attend a telepathic communications seminar.

Internet Addiction Disorder: a compulsive behavior that won't let you sign

off.

Therapy: Attending a Dataholics 12-step meeting.

Techno-envy: when you fear that the person next to you has a faster, bigger

and cheaper PC.

Cure: Weekly visits to a psychotechnologists and an upgrade every six

months.

Internet Anxiety: causes Fortune 500 CEOs to toss and turn all night,

worried that some geek in Silicon Valley with a new idea will ruin their

billion-dollar business overnight.

Treatment: Stop golfing and read all your e-mail.

Campaign Fundraising Obsession: what GOP front-runner Bush Jr. has in

a really bad way.

Treatment: Have Forbes' big bucks but nominate McCain.

CEO Anxiety: symptoms include short-term thinking by maximizing next

quarter's profits.

Cure: Running for political office and then having an expanded two-year

get-elected cycle.

Messy Desk Syndrome: obsessive tendency to have everything right where you

want it.

Cure: Feng Shui classes and getting a virtual and paperless office.

Quality Time Anxiety: parental guilt caused by working 10 percent more than

you did 10 years ago.

Rx: Lifestyle downsizing or reading ``One-Minute Bedtime Stories.''

Attention Deficit Disorder: what Gen-Xers suffer from caused by our 24/7

hyperculture.

Cure: spending time with Baby Boomers.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: the ennui that millions of Yuppies are said to

suffer from.

Cure: Group therapy with ADD suffers and visiting Starbucks three times a

day!

Internet Hype Syndrome: a Silicon Valley hysteria causing irrational

exuberance with IPOs.

Rx: an hour-a-day chat-room therapy sessions.

Political Correctness: an abnormality caused by being way too sensitive.

Rx: Listening to Buchanan and reading Ventura interviews.

Mid-life Crisis: a trauma suffered by men over age 45.

Treatment: a sports car and running off with a woman you met in a chat room.

Choice Paralysis: a constant state of ambivalence the result of too much

choice.

Rx: letting your mother-in-law move in.

Terrible 2s: what only American toddlers seem to suffer from.

Treatment: Letting The Village help.

Urban Stress Disorder: Neurotic hysteria caused by watching the evening

news.

Rx: Killing your TV or a week's vacation in any Third World city.

Cinderella Complex: delusions from waiting too long for Mr. Right.

Treatment: Watching a week's worth of Jerry Springer shows.

Seasonal Affective Disorder: a melancholia caused by long winters.

Therapy: Massage therapy and weekly visits to a tanning salon.

Post Holiday Depression: symptoms continue after returning from your 3.2 day

vacation.

Cure: sell your stock options, downsize and go on a pay-to-work six-month

vacation.

Statistical Hypochondria: a psychosomatic condition leaving folks unable to

face any more lies, damn lies and statistics.

Cure: Flip a coin.

Commonsense Deficit Disorder: a dysfunction that politicians suffer from.

Rx: get voters to lie to the pollsters and then actually vote occasionally.

Commonsense Deficit Disorder II: the insanity suffered by the pro-gun lobby.

Rx: Columbine High School, etc., etc. . . .

Angry Male Syndrome: symptoms include being confused, stressed out,

underpaid, unappreciated and angry.

Therapy: Remembering that women still only earn 71 percent of what you make.

Product Personalities Disorder: the result of viewing 30,000 ads a year.

Treatment: sell label ad space on your clothes or join a nudist colony.

Bobbit Anxiety: experts claim that 20 percent of male adults suffer from it.

Cure: Reading the court transcripts.

Adrenaline Junkies: due to sedate, boring days spent in office cubicles.

Therapy: Participating in the body-numbing X-Games.

Male Answer Syndrome: a male fantasy of knowing it all.

Cure: Drum Therapy, but really just getting married and having kids helps,

too.

Identity Crisis: confusion over whether you're a parent, child, lover,

employee or friend.

Rx: Prozac -- more than 23 million satisfied customers.

Cross-fire Syndrome: the nationwide disorder of never being able to finish a

sentence without being interrupted.

Cure: Don't get married or have kids.

Excessive Emotional Baggage Disorder: AKA, newly divorced and dating.

Treatment: Remembering that everyone has baggage, but does yours fit in the

overhead compartment?

Sex Addiction: what 20 percent of males apparently suffer from.

Cure: Exercise daily, cold showers or get married and have kids.

Road Rage: a frustration caused by long commutes and impolite drivers.

Cure: Traveling on public transportation or working out of a home office.

D. Chalmers, just back from Myanmar, is working on a book called

``101 Stories from 101 Places.''