Link between Stress and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

By Kristi Patrice Carter

According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than one million people in the U.S. suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), a debilitating and difficult-to-treat disorder the main characteristic of which is severe fatigue that does not relent with bed rest.

There is no diagnostic test for CFS; the condition is diagnosed symptomatically. Symptoms include profound fatigue that has lasted for at least six months, loss of short-term memory or ability to concentrate, sore throat, lymph node tenderness, pain without swelling in muscles and multiple joints, headaches of a new type, pattern or severity and a feeling of malaise that lasts for more than 24 hours following exertion.

In addition, some people with CFS have experienced symptoms not included in the official definition put forth by the International Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Study Group. These symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating, chest pain, diarrhea, dizziness, dry eyes and mouth, earache, irregular heartbeat, jaw pain, morning stiffness, nausea, shortness of breath, tingling sensations, especially in the hands and feet, weight loss and night sweats. CFS sufferers may find that their symptoms peak and become stable early on, and then come and go over time. Some people go on to recover completely, while others grow progressively worse.

Though the cause or causes of CFS have not been definitively identified, recent research indicates that childhood trauma and extreme emotional or physical stress at any time of life may act as triggers for the condition. CFS may be the result of the brain’s inability to cope with these challenges.

Physicians know that trauma creates stress. One study revealed that people with CFS had higher overall trauma scores than those without it, and that trauma increased the risk of developing CFS by as much as eight times.

Even though researchers found that not everyone with CFS had experienced childhood trauma, people who experienced multiple traumas in childhood have a significantly higher risk of developing CFS than people who had suffered from only one trauma. Also, CFS sufferers who had experienced childhood traumas tended to have worse symptoms than the other patients studied.

Patients with CFS are also more likely to experience depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychiatric disorders associated with childhood trauma. Experiencing acute stress as an adult seems to reactivate the stress caused by traumas undergone earlier in life.

Having a gentle and emotional nature—two characteristics that society has traditionally ascribed as desirable for women—seems to make matters worse because a high level of emotional response also appears to create a pre-disposition for acquiring CFS.

In fact, CFS may actually demonstrate the brain’s lack of ability to cope with stress and extreme emotional challenges. This may be why there is such a high incidence of CFS among veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The authors of one recent study that compared veterans of the Gulf War to non-veterans reported significantly higher rates of PTSD and CFS among veterans. While researchers postulated that deployment-related stress might account for the higher risks of both PTSD and CFS, additional factor(s) unique to the Gulf environment may have contributed to the risk of CFS among Gulf War veterans.

Whatever the causes people experiencing four or more symptoms of CFS should immediately locate and schedule an appointment with a physician experienced in treating the disease. Though many general physicians may be knowledgeable about CFS, the best bet is to find medical advisors who specialize in CFS.