Chronic fatigue

“Could one of the causes of chronic fatigue syndrome be unrecognised grieving?

   Scientific research over the last two decades in psycho-neuroimmuno-endocrinology has increased the understanding of the mind-body connection. The body has sophisticated chemical feedback loops which respond to internal and external stimuli, restore homoeostasis, and are part of the body’s immune system. Persistent or intense emotions can distort the feedback creating an adverse affect on health.
   When you are healthy, the cortical steroids levels in your body are higher during the day, the time when the immune system’s defence functions should be most alert and active for cell defences and ‘flight and fight’ responses. Chemical messages flood the body when it is time to switch the immune system to its night time healing and cell repair mode.
   Unrelieved accumulation of stresses, whether physical, mental or emotional disturb the natural rhythms of the body’s feedback loops. When this happens levels of cortical steroids remain too high for normal homeostasis to be restored, leaving the system, in effect, on ‘red alert’, with sleep impaired and reduced capacity to maintain healthy cells and functioning. This reduction in health will have knock-on effects into relationships, performance at work and quality of life. All this adds to the stress and creates further chemical imbalances in the body making it harder to restore the dynamic chemical homeostasis essential for good health.
   Losses arising from reduced quality of life will be numerous and varied bringing a range of emotions that also sap energy. A vicious cycle has been created that is not easy to break and can result in chronic fatigue, leaving one feeling too drained to achieve changes that will restore wellness.
   Let’s look at grief emotions first, then at some suggestions that may help re-programme the body’s chemical feedback loops...”

  The article which is © 2009 Judith H Morrison, continues to discuss the emotions of grief experienced after any loss when what is lost has been valued. It outlines the emotions in detail and shows the emotions associated with each stage of the grief process, continuing to suggest ways in which the feedback loops can be re-programmed.
Judith H Morrison is the author of THE BOOK OF AYURVEDA: A GUIDE TO PERSONAL WELLBEING (Gaia Books 2001) and THE AYURVEDA LIFESTYLE WORKBOOK: AN EASY INTRODUCTION TO USING AYURVEYDA IN WESTERN DAILY LIFE, published by ELSIE Books 2006.