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Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of, and finding treatments for, complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia, long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.
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The best part is how the camera captured the look on the woman's face in the background when Unger said that...
Lol. These people really are clueless. My story is exactly the same as yours. I used to surf, snowboard, mt bike, box, run, Crossfit, etc. extremely healthy by any body's standards. Couple of years ago I had bronchitis for about 2-3 months straight. The severity would wane and wax but the second I felt a little better I was lifting or hitting the heavy bag until I couldn't. It eventually cleared up and I went back to my usual routine. Then I noticed once in a while for no reason I would feel like I had a Vegas bachelor party hangover for no reason. I would relax and it eventually went away and I'd start my routine again. These "hangovers" started becoming more sever and lasted longer. Every single time I felt a bit better I started back up until this past summer. I haven't felt better since in fact I was bed bound for 4 months. I really don't understand how these people believe this bullshit. I would love for these bozos to experience what we experience. I'm sure their perspective would be s lot different.@ Nielk Thanks for posting this short video clip. With respect to the mind/body connection, I've decided to put my own experienced patient's interpretation on Doctor Unger's statement. For those who haven't viewed the video, here's a portion of what she said: "Our society does not do a good job of understanding there is a mind/body connection, and when you start understanding how people respond to their illness and how it affects them, it is a circle".
Here's my take. Before becoming ill with my precipitating viral infection, I perceived myself as an exceptionally fit and healthy person. It was beyond my capacity to imagine that I would not recover from a viral infection. I always had in the past. Therefore, my lasting fatigue and increasing symptoms must have been due to a period of time that was unusually demanding, even for me. Since I knew this time period would come to an end, there was no reason to slow down. The problem would resolve on its own. When it didn't, I followed a typical "when the going gets tough, the tough get going" strategy, and tried even harder. Of course, that only made things worse. So yes, according to Doctor Unger's mind/body model, how I responded to my illness (denial) did affect me (I became much worse). And, even after years (decades), I still rarely acknowledge how impaired I am. The slightest improvement, however brief, results in my doing more, which makes me worse, so I do less. Until the next time. Yes, it is a never-ending circle. So, Doctor Unger is correct, again -- but probably not in the way she thinks she is.