From my personal experience if a specialist had taught me how to pace properly I think it may have reduced my chances of becoming so severe
I totally agree. If there had been clear, unconflicted, understandable info out there when I first got the Dx, and I had been able to discern that pushing and trying to maintain a certain level of activity would make me worse, I believe I would not have become this debilitated.
I might have been able to connect that exertion from two days ago with the crap I felt 48 hours later.
Instead I went for years doing all kinds of stressful things, and since I didn't understand the illness, and was totally confused by the CFS vs ME discussions, I didn't think to see a specialist either. At the early stages I didn't fit the CDC definition, so couldn't be sure if the Dx was correct anyway.
Progress has been made with the CCC and ICC, I think, for newer patients trying to suss it all out, and emphasis is starting to made on the importance of pacing.