Changing the Name of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - What Do You Think?
Why is the Name Important?
At the crux of it is the word "fatigue," which has become the "f" word to some people. Everyone feels fatigued now and then and a lot of people have chronic fatigue, but not chronic fatigue syndrome. It's all to common for someone to say, "I have chronic fatigue syndrome," and be met with the response, "Yeah, I get tired a lot, too." People just don't get it. CFS is under-respected by the public and the medical community, and research is drastically underfunded when compared to diseases that cause a similar level of disability.
Do you think changing the name would bring more respect and research dollars? Do you think it'll change public perception and make doctors take you more seriously? Do you think it'll create a lot of confusion? Do you think it'd be better to ditch CFS altogether? Share you opinion in the poll and post a comment here on in About.com's Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Forum.
- Get a definition of myalgic encephalomyelitis & myalgic encephalopathy.
- Learn more about the name-change effort and how you can get involved.
- Read about current research into ME/CFS and the 7 Genomic Subtypes of ME/CFS.
Comments
Any of the names provided will not make the slightest bit of difference. The broad and widespread misunderstandings, the deeply inadequate medical criteria to define the illness, and the corporate/medical drug culture has had the upper hand in this matter for quite a long time. Don’t you know we have zero control over this! This illness is very similar to Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome experienced by a certain segment of veterans from every war, there ever was. Out of sight, out of mind. It costs too much, anyway, why bother. That is just the hard truth.
If a name change will bring more awareness, funding and help convince others that it’s ‘real’…then yes, change it. I’m just not sure that changing it will bring the results that are hoped for. I pray that it does.
I think this condition would benefit from a name change. I rarely tell people I suffer from CFS. Instead I tell them I have Fibromyalgia. I have both but have more CFS symptoms. When people hear fatigue they say, “I get tired all the time. What’s the big deal?” It is very hard to explain to people that the tiredness we feel is quite different and that the symptoms are many and varied, and severe. I believe the symptoms of Gulf Syndrome are not only similar, they may in fact work on the same parts of our brain or nervous system. If research finds the underlying causes for either of them, they will be on the way to find cures for both syndromes.
I’s hard to change minds that have given up hope, I sympathize but, I say the squeaky wheel wins in the end. We need to keep up the noise and the pressure and not give up until the mystery of these conditions are found, and a cure is forth coming.