Are Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Synonymous Terms?
Byron Hyde MD Peterson tried to convey the quality of the pervasive symptom, calling it ‘absolutely striking – like nothing you have ever heard in taking histories before. This isn’t tiredness. This is a carpenter who says, “I can’t raise my arm to hammer,” or a marathon runner who says, “I can’t make it to the corner.” Hillary Johnson in ‘Osler’s Web’ p 34 The euphemistic, benign sounding name [and more importantly, the focus on ‘fatigue’] suggested a trivial, volitional disability, one that could be shrugged off with vitamins, aerobic exercise, stress reduction, a good night’s sleep or sheer willpower. By casting its victims in the role of shirkers who chose to defy the nation’s Protestant work ethic, the name, in addition, had the subtle effect of inspiring hostility toward the victim. As one psychologist well versed in standardised systems of evaluating the psychological import of words noted, ‘Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has a real negative impact. The word ‘chronic’ is associated wi
