My symptom severity seems to decrease from moderate to mild whenever my long distance girlfriend is around and helps me relax. I see her a couple weeks at a time every couple of months, and I've found I have way more energy and can do a lot more activity without getting debilitating PEM. I'll still experience PEM but it's rather mild and not nearly as bad as it usually is.
She gives me massages and just helps me feel more comfortable in general. I find it impossible to be this relaxed on my own. I worry about any and everything and am just a huge ball of stress.
I've always suffered from anxiety and tense muscles my entire life even before CFS. I actually think severe 10/10 panic attacks in the summer of 2020 caused EBV to reactivate and gave me CFS. I get EBV flares if I miss a day of Valacyclovir (3 grams a day) and my CFS gets much worse for a while after. It worsened permanently after I tried taking a week off and I haven't tried that since.
I have a hunch that my immune system has been run down by stress and anxiety over the years and that may be the reason I can't kick this virus. Maybe something to do with my HPA axis? Cortisol?
She gives me massages and just helps me feel more comfortable in general. I find it impossible to be this relaxed on my own. I worry about any and everything and am just a huge ball of stress.
I've always suffered from anxiety and tense muscles my entire life even before CFS. I actually think severe 10/10 panic attacks in the summer of 2020 caused EBV to reactivate and gave me CFS. I get EBV flares if I miss a day of Valacyclovir (3 grams a day) and my CFS gets much worse for a while after. It worsened permanently after I tried taking a week off and I haven't tried that since.
I have a hunch that my immune system has been run down by stress and anxiety over the years and that may be the reason I can't kick this virus. Maybe something to do with my HPA axis? Cortisol?