CFS/ME vs. Depression

My goodness. Does any doctor in this world read any medical journals or studies at all??? They have been doing studies to differentiate chronically depressed people from people with CFS/ME for years. Since about 1995, there have been numerous studies published and replicated which find absolutely NO correlation between these two diseases.Even the psychometric testing and the personality profiles of patients themselves comes out statistically different each and every time. Funny, when people get depressed because they have cancer or MS or toe fungus...they don't wonder if it's caused by clinical depression or another mental illness!! Geesh!

It just makes me lather at the mouth to read about doctors who still can ask questions like Cathy's doc asked her?? Good thing he wasn't my infectious disease specialist! I would have clocked him one first, then secondly, told him the outcomes of all the insane number of studies that they keep redoing over and over again. Clinical, chronic depression affects a totally different part of the brain. Look at the journals. I wonder if he's ever heard of JAMA, Lancet, Journal of Internal Medicine, Nature, Science, New England Journal of Medicine, Infectious Disease Medicine, etc. Now, if I can quote these sources, there is absolutely no good reason he/she hasn't read any of these.

Of course, a chronic illness is going to make the sufferer depressed at times, all the time, or just once in a while. What chemo patient do you know who skips down the sidewalk, singing about "oh, what a wonderful morning" and smiles all the way???? Give me a break. And if you also happen to have a mental illness in addition to CFS/ME, of course your list of anxiety & anti-depressants is going to look rather long. Where have these people been?? It's like they are not aware of anything that's happened since the Ice Age.

If you should feel so inclined, I will give you URL's to print out and send to this "pretender to his own throne" to show him the studies.
Then ask him what his psychiatrist thinks about him continuing to practice infectious diseases when he obviously knows nothing of one of the most prevalent??? Angry emoticon here. Suzq

Believe it or not, even cancer patients can get a raw deal. When my aunt had
breast
cancer, she was told her "bad attitude" would lessen her chances of survival.
Nothing
like "blame the victim." I took her to a highly supportive new oncologist at
a
comprehensive cancer hospital. Her told her her "bad attitude"--anger, was
normal,
and possibly helpful. She did just fine--and even if she hadn't, at least had
a kind,
compassionate doc.

Hi SuzQ

Could I get a list of those articles from you? I am now dealing with a
pschologist who I was sent to by my employer who beleives my getting over this
is mind over matter. I appled for disability in the summer and was denied in
august. Work then sent me to this rehab program which is dreadful - hasn't
made me feel better - just worse. The psyco. is part of this rehab and keeps
teelign me that if i learn to become a more asseritve person I will feel
better and all will be well. What crap! my union rep also tells me in
confidence (so I can't even confront HR) that the HR rep thinks that this is
in my head. Before I got sick I was in the happiest phase of my life - job was
going great, preparing to get married to an amazing man.... Now the bottom
has fallen out of my life. And they dare to tell me my dpr. is making me
sick. It is only b/c I had gone thru a seever depr. prev. in my life which
they learend of but for which I had only missed a week of work!! Damn them
they are just looking for excuses to force me to work. I was workign half time
for 6 mos. when I 1st got sick. Dragging myself to work everyday anbd then
falling onto the couch when I got home at nite feelign like crap pretty much
all tht time. Then in April I crashed so bad I was bedridden for 6 weeks.
Have been off work since. They are tryign to force me back in 2 weeks. I am so
scared of crashign again. I have heard from so mayn people ont his list that
they beleive if they had rested more inthe beg. maybe they would have healed
more instead of gettign worse. I have been sick just over a year now and
after resting most of the su mmer am now able to do basic errands and take
care of myself. Have about 4 hours of energy for everythign a day. Don't want
to lose that. They want me to go back to work, use that all, and have nothing
left to cook, buy grocs. etc. and worse than that I am sacred that if I push
myself agasin I will not even be able to do any of those thigns. The hR person
and the doc and psyco at Rehab tell me I will never qualify for disability -
that I am not in a wheelchair and not paralyzed so therefore am not disabled.
If disability is not for when people get this sick, then what is it for?! I
can't afford to not have na income.

At a loss for what to do...Any advice?

Thank you
Monique

<CFS-L@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> =====

studies at all??? They have been doing studies to differentiate chronically
depressed people from people with CFS/ME for years. Since about 1995, there
have been numerous studies published and replicated which find absolutely NO
correlation between these two diseases.Even the psychometric testing and the
personality profiles of patients themselves comes out statistically different
each and every time. Funny, when people get depressed because they have cancer
or MS or toe fungus...they don't wonder if it's caused by clinical depression
or another mental illness!! Geesh!

questions like Cathy's doc asked her?? Good thing he wasn't my infectious
disease specialist! I would have clocked him one first, then secondly, told
him the outcomes of all the insane number of studies that they keep redoing
over and over again. Clinical, chronic depression affects a totally different
part of the brain. Look at the journals. I wonder if he's ever heard of JAMA,
Lancet, Journal of Internal Medicine, Nature, Science, New England Journal of
Medicine, Infectious Disease Medicine, etc. Now, if I can quote these sources,
there is absolutely no good reason he/she hasn't read any of these.

times, all the time, or just once in a while. What chemo patient do you know
who skips down the sidewalk, singing about "oh, what a wonderful morning" and
smiles all the way???? Give me a break. And if you also happen to have a
mental illness in addition to CFS/ME, of course your list of anxiety &
anti-depressants is going to look rather long. Where have these people been??
It's like they are not aware of anything that's happened since the Ice Age.

zen with it all....no I'm not!! There is no excuse. If a cancer patient walks
into their doctor, and their doctor asked what their psychiatrist thought
about "this tumor", why they'd be sued so fast their head would spin. We are
usually dumbfounded and don't think of what to say until after we leave and
rehash the visit, but we really must not let these doctors get away with this.
That's one reason I'm a little loathe to read any articles about our condition
written in Psychological journals or by psychiatrists.(no offense intended
Peter) It puts a spin on a physical disease that needs no spinning. It is a
viral infection!! These doctors are not getting educated by the CDC and
NIH...and that's supposedly what the grants are going for. Our tax dollars.
I'd like to see some proof. This makes me furious....infectious disease
specialist my foot. He must not know anything about HIV or CMV if he can ask suc!

to this "pretender to his own throne" to show him the studies.

infectious diseases when he obviously knows nothing of one of the most
prevalent??? Angry emoticon here. Suzq

Dear Monique,

As I recall you are in Canada? So my experience with getting disability
benefits may not be much help, but just in case, here are the main
points: Any agency or insurance company works by its own rules and
definitions. You must find out those rules and definitions. All of these
groups have appeals processes, with time limits. You must find out the
limits and use the appeals process. You may need help with this. Talk
with Legal Aide, your doctor, anyone who has had experience with the
specific agencies you are applying to. And do***ent the discouraging
remarks and misinformation you are receiving from people whose job it is to
look after your best interests. I realize they have a conflict of
interest: if you get disability, it costs the organizations who pay their
salaries. So find somebody doesn't have that conflict of interest to
advise and possibly represent you. good luck. Marnia

I think it is a horrible problem, income while awaiting benefits. I had to
arrange a private loan, which lender has let me know this is a gift in
their eyes, but I feel it as a debt impossible to repay until/unless I am
able to return to full time professional earning. A terrible position to
put disabled citizens and their families in, but there you are. good
luck. Marnia

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