Here's a great link and some interesting self help internet courses:
www.cfidsselfhelp.org/
Take a look, and tell us what you think...
What if it were possible to make a difference in your symptoms by learning how to manage them? Bruce Campbell, a CFIDS sufferer and creator of the CFIDS/Fibromyalgia Self-help Program, believes it is possible. As a researcher who has worked on self-help programs for arthritis and other chronic illnesses, he knows that the self-help model has been shown to have dramatic effects on a person's coping skills, self-confidence, and even survival; he has created a course specifically tailored to the needs and concerns of people with CFS/FM.
The program is based on four key principles:
1) Self- Help
Because of the uncertainty and limitations imposed by chronic illness, people with CFS/FM often suffer from frustration and a sense of helplessness. As the day-to-day managers of our CFS/FM, we can benefit by learning tools for coping. Through our efforts, we can change the impact of our illness and may even change the course of the disease.
2) Pacing
Because CFS/FM severely limits our energy, it is common to cycle between overactivity and enforced rest ("push and crash"). By identifying and respecting our limits and "living inside the envelope," we can reduce our symptoms, decrease the frequency and severity of relapses, bring greater predictability to our lives, and perhaps be able to gradually expand our limits.
3) Multiple Coping Strategies
CFS/FM symptoms seem to have many causes influenced by a host of factors. It can be helpful to use a variety of coping techniques, each tailored to a particular cause or factor. By exploring the causes of our symptoms, we can identify which ones may be under our control and learn techniques for reducing their effects.
4) Support
Our illness tends to isolate us. A supportive group that is focused on finding ways to live better can offer encouragement and inspiration. Scientific research has shown that connecting with others who share a similar condition in an environment of respect and understanding can enhance coping skills and self-confidence.
www.cfidsselfhelp.org/
Take a look, and tell us what you think...
What if it were possible to make a difference in your symptoms by learning how to manage them? Bruce Campbell, a CFIDS sufferer and creator of the CFIDS/Fibromyalgia Self-help Program, believes it is possible. As a researcher who has worked on self-help programs for arthritis and other chronic illnesses, he knows that the self-help model has been shown to have dramatic effects on a person's coping skills, self-confidence, and even survival; he has created a course specifically tailored to the needs and concerns of people with CFS/FM.
The program is based on four key principles:
1) Self- Help
Because of the uncertainty and limitations imposed by chronic illness, people with CFS/FM often suffer from frustration and a sense of helplessness. As the day-to-day managers of our CFS/FM, we can benefit by learning tools for coping. Through our efforts, we can change the impact of our illness and may even change the course of the disease.
2) Pacing
Because CFS/FM severely limits our energy, it is common to cycle between overactivity and enforced rest ("push and crash"). By identifying and respecting our limits and "living inside the envelope," we can reduce our symptoms, decrease the frequency and severity of relapses, bring greater predictability to our lives, and perhaps be able to gradually expand our limits.
3) Multiple Coping Strategies
CFS/FM symptoms seem to have many causes influenced by a host of factors. It can be helpful to use a variety of coping techniques, each tailored to a particular cause or factor. By exploring the causes of our symptoms, we can identify which ones may be under our control and learn techniques for reducing their effects.
4) Support
Our illness tends to isolate us. A supportive group that is focused on finding ways to live better can offer encouragement and inspiration. Scientific research has shown that connecting with others who share a similar condition in an environment of respect and understanding can enhance coping skills and self-confidence.
USA
Jilly
