Chronic fatigue patients more likely to suppress emotions

[snowathlete]

A blunted or "flat" affect is associated with ME/CFS and is defined as a lack of emotional expressiveness. This is not the same thing as suppression! Just because my emotions can't be easily read on my face doesn't mean that I'm suppressing them. Suppression is an effort to hide emotion, whereas having a blunted or flat affect takes no effort at all.

Idiots

I'd have thought that lack of emotional expressiveness is far more likely to occur in a doctors office where the focus of conversation is on your disability.
Also, as we have a lack of energy it would also be expected as making expressions costs energy, so you either avoid it, or do it to a lesser degree. Doesn't equal not having those emotions though.

 

[Forbin]

So does this study explain how it is that I experienced the sudden onset of ME while laughing with friends?

 

[Daisymay]

I am sure there must be a suitable name for this research based on the acronym PRINCESS. That should enable us to while away the hours whilst we calm down.

Or perhaps we could think up a suitable name for this research based on the acronym BOL....KS?

 

[mango]

I'd say there's a massive difference between suppressing emotions and purposely choosing not to always express them (for example for tactical or practical reasons).

To me "to suppress emotions" means not allowing yourself to feel them. To try and hide them, to pretend they are not there.

However, it's obviously totally possible to feel and accept emotions fully, and at the same time choosing not to express them right then and there.

[...] this does not indicate a causal link between emotional suppression and the syndrome itself, Rimes added.

But she didn't comment on whether they believe it is a perpetuating factor or not...

 

[JaimeS]

The findings don't surprise me at all - I can no more sustain anger or upset for long periods without exhaustion than I can run around the block. Unsurprisingly, I try to suppress and avoid such things.

I do rather wish that it was someone else interpreting the results here though.

Immediately what I thought. Of course we try to control our emotional reactions more; they're exhausting. Everyone's emotions are exhausting, but we have less of an energy envelope in the first place.

These people have the worst correlation/causation illogic. At this point, all they elicit is an eye-roll.

-J

 

[JaimeS]

The film they showed wasn't exactly neutral I can imagine a lot of people with chronic conditions wouldn't be particularly shocked by the state of care services in the UK and especially people with ME. If they failed to choose a neutral video clip and didn't control for chronic disease (i.e. have other groups with different chronic illnesses) then their results are meaningless.

Wow, that makes it SO much worse.

"We chose a video intended to elicit certain reactions from the CFS community, but that would likely have no personal meaning to controls."

 

[JaimeS]

So does this study explain how it is that I experienced the sudden onset of ME while laughing with friends?

Yes. You had an irregular outburst of emotion that wasn't in line with your usual depressive/anxietous behavior. Your HPA axis subsequently panicked and died.

 

[chipmunk1]

[...] this does not indicate a causal link between emotional suppression and the syndrome itself, Rimes added.

No it does not and next week the study will be blasted all over the media along with other studies that show that CBT might possibly help.

 

[Cheshire]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/732960234164064256

 

[JaimeS]

No it does not and next week the study will be blasted all over the media along with other studies that show that CBT might possibly help.

One can only hope.

 

[panckage]

Lol I do try to suppress my negative emotions for people who don't understand my disease and keep trying to force me to do something that is bad for my health. DUH!!

I think for me though is that when my symptoms are bad I largely lose the ability to feel emotions. I don't know if it's my body just conserving energy or what but it feels like my while emotional system becomes nonfunctional and I become aspbergers like (although my brain capacity definitely becomes less than theirs too,!). I think this would have been the more relevant thing to research....

 

[daisybell]

One of my 'tells' when I'm feeling bad is that my eyelids sweat.... It must be because my eyes have seen something majorly stressful.

 

[Forbin]

Yes. You had an irregular outburst of emotion that wasn't in line with your usual depressive/anxietous behavior. Your HPA axis subsequently panicked and died.

Damn. I knew I should never have installed that cheap "SELD-M-BREAK" brand HPA axis!



[To be fair, this study is about the suppression of negative emotions, not all emotions. So, I guess my positive emotions at the time of onset are irrelevant.

- - -​

Actually, the study is really about the suppression of the display of emotions, which is not the same thing as the suppression of emotions themselves - as Cyrano de Bergerac, or any poker player, can tell you.]

 

[Mij]

Expending energy - whether it be physical, cognitive or emotional energy can be quite draining.
Perhaps it is not "suppression of emotion" so much as pacing done by patients to minimize emotional highs or lows and thereby minimize energy expenditure....

Exactly what I was thinking. Perhaps we're snobs too? I avoid people.

 

[me/cfs 27931]

Are you more stressed and anxious? Chronic fatigue may be the reason

Individuals suffering from chronic fatigue tend to be more anxious, stressed and suppress emotions more than people who do not have this condition, says a study.

http://www.thehealthsite.com/news/a...ous-chronic-fatigue-may-be-the-reason-ag0516/
---

Doctor, I'm stressed and anxious, do you think I might have "chronic fatigue"?

 

[JaimeS]

Are you more stressed and anxious? Chronic fatigue may be the reason

Individuals suffering from chronic fatigue tend to be more anxious, stressed and suppress emotions more than people who do not have this condition, says a study.

http://www.thehealthsite.com/news/a...ous-chronic-fatigue-may-be-the-reason-ag0516/
---

Doctor, I'm stressed and anxious, do you think I might have "chronic fatigue"?

Yeaaaahh, I have a Google alert for 'chronic fatigue' and it's incredible how fast people latched on to this one. The public really likes the idea.

I think it's because it gives them something to do to prevent CFS: just express yourself unlike those buttoned-up CFSers and you'll never catch / inherit this illness. It's a prescription for success!

On another note, if anyone was ever in doubt that the 'CFS' label is really as demeaning as people say, comparing the articles that pop up for ME/CFS or ME vs CFS alone is mindblowing.

-J

 

[worldbackwards]

Really, isn't "people with chronic illness more stressed and anxious" basically "Bear researchers at Kings in shock dump in the woods discovery"? Shows how desperate they are to put a spin on things really.

 

[JaimeS]

Really, isn't "people with chronic illness more stressed and anxious" basically "Bear researchers at Kings in shock dump in the woods discovery"? Shows how desperate they are to put a spin on things really.

This crosses my mind rather a lot. The emphasis SHOULD be on "all people with chronic illness deal with increased stress" and instead only a few illnesses get this narrative. We've certainly had some theories as to why, not the least of which is the on-again, off-again nature of the illness for some, the primarily female patient population, and the fact that it's a neurological disorder. Apparently, this is the gauntlet that all neurological disorders must run.

 

[me/cfs 27931]

"These findings may help us understand why some chronic fatigue syndrome patients don't seek out social support at times of stress," said Rimes.

Unlike some other chronic illnesses, CFS sufferers have virtually no social support. Difficult to seek out something that doesn't exist.

 

[worldbackwards]

Unlike some other chronic illnesses, CFS sufferers have virtually no social support. Difficult to seek out something that doesn't exist.

Perhaps that's because certain people have made it known that it only encourages us. It takes a certain quality of person to bemoan that lack of social support at the same time as trying to isolate patients.