Chronic fatigue syndrome treatment support with hypnosis

What if you're always tired and you stay tired no matter what measures you take? Then chances are you suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome. You try all sorts of things to get a good night's sleep and to take it easy especially, but still you remain much more tired than you might expect under the circumstances. This is a hallmark of the syndrome and shows that it is not easy to treat.

To see what treatments are out there and how hypnosis can provide a supportive role in them, I will discuss chronic fatigue syndrome in this blog.

In another blog, I've already talked about various causes of chronic fatigue. If you have taken all kinds of measures, to find out if you are overworked or have a burnout, for example, and you still remain fatigued, chances are you suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

What is chronic fatigue syndrome?

Syndrome is a condition thus characterized with fatigue disproportionate to the amount of sleep or stress you have(1).

Another feature is that this unexplained fatigue lasts longer than 6 months.

Multiple causes for this fatigue are identified by scientists, but there is still much uncertainty.

What is clear is that rest does not improve it, and mental and physical activity can exacerbate fatigue.

Causes of chronic fatigue syndrome

There are multiple causes or triggers of chronic fatigue syndrome.

Viral infections

In some cases, people suffer from CFS after getting a viral infection. Scientists are now investigating whether these infections can trigger the condition. The suspected infections are herpes, murine leukemia viruses and Epstein-Barr virus.

Immune system problems

Research shows that the immune system of people with chronic fatigue syndrome often does not work optimally.

The only thing that remains unclear is whether this minor immune system defect is enough to cause CFS.

Hormonal imbalance

Sometimes people with CFS also have incredibly abnormal blood levels when it comes to hormones. These are the hormones produced in the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and adrenal glands. Even with this imbalance, it is still unknown whether this is the real cause of the syndrome(2).

This condition can occur at any age, but generally arises between the ages of ⁴⁰ and ⁵⁰. Women also seem to suffer from it more often than men, and not being able to handle stress well can also contribute to the development of this syndrome.

Generally, other medical causes for the fatigue are looked into and if they cannot be found, a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome is made.

Symptoms of CFS

Symptoms seem to fit many other conditions. The symptoms consist of more than just chronic fatigue, namely:

Fatigue
Sore throat
Memory Loss
Reduced ability to concentrate
Larger lymph nodes in the neck and under the armpits
Headaches that are different, have different severity and frequency
Pain moving from one limb to another without redness or swelling
Sleep that doesn't help you rest
Extreme fatigue for up to 24 hours after exercise delivered

Effects of chronic fatigue syndrome

As you can see, the symptoms of CFS are severe enough to affect your life considerably. As a result, people can suffer from other conditions in addition to the syndrome, such as

Lifestyle changes
Reducing social life
Reduction of work
Depression

Treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a condition that in most cases does not go away on its own. Research shows that about 7% of people with CFS get better automatically. Another small study of 25 people with this condition found that nearly 1 in 4 of them felt better and cured after 5 years.

So the vast majority need treatment to better cope or heal.

CFS is treated in multiple ways. Generally, you get mental help through cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and help with healthy eating. In some cases, sleep medication is also prescribed.

As for activity and exercise, it is generally recommended to take in as much as feels good and not to do more.

There is also a therapy that allows you to gradually get more exercise. Research shows that this works more effectively than just medical treatment or treatment in which you have the amount of activity that matches the energy you have at the time.

Adding CBT and incremental activity significantly helps achieve a better quality of life. Researchers even argue that cures for fatigue syndrome are possible and that CBT and gradually increasing exercise is the way to get there(3)(4).

In this study, participants were treated for one year.

After healing, however, it is possible to suffer from the condition again in the future.

Cognitive behavioral therapy and chronic fatigue syndrome

CBT involves working with a psychologist or other mental health professional to determine how behaviors, thoughts and fatigue affect each other.

In the process, people are then given homework to practice at home to better manage the condition.

Research shows that CBT helps people suffer less from chronic fatigue syndrome. It doesn't just reduce fatigue. In fact, it also reduces anxiety and depressive feelings.

Hypnosis as a support cognitive behavioral therapy for CFS

Multiple studies also show that CBT under hypnosis enhances the results of that therapy. Hypnosis can therefore be a way to support and improve the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome.

For example, hypnosis helps with the relaxation exercises that CBT gives to people who suffer from this syndrome. One relaxation exercise, for example, is visualizing a pleasant place. After you have done breathing exercises that initially help you relax.

In addition, hypnosis combined with CBT helps address beliefs that are not helping you move forward. This can be done, for example, with socratic conversations or repeating hypnotic suggestions.

These hypnotic suggestions can also be given along as homework to repeat at home. The idea with these suggestions is that it can change your beliefs to beliefs that actually help you move forward.

Gradually building more activity

Another therapy combined with CBT is gradually building up more physical activity so that the body gets used to it again.

A meta-research shows that exercise therapy consisting of walking, biking, swimming and/or dancing can help you sleep better, have more energy and feel better about your physical health.

However, it is not clear whether increased exercise also improves feelings of anxiety, depression, pain and quality of life.

Hypnosis can also help increase motivation to exercise.

Tips for treating chronic fatigue syndrome

There are some tips you can implement to treat chronic fatigue syndrome.

Tip 1: Keep a sleep diary

In this journal, you write down how much you slept and how you feel the following day. In it you also keep track of whether the activity can be related to the quality or amount of sleep. You can also do this before seeing a doctor. In fact, this can help in making the right diagnosis. After all, fatigue can also be a symptom for something other than chronic fatigue syndrome.

Tip 2: Use good sleep hygiene

Another component important in treating CFS is good sleep hygiene(5). Before going to sleep, it is important to do the following things.

Do not drink caffeinated beverages after 3 in the afternoon.
A few hours before bedtime, don't look into light, such as the television or your smartphone.
Dim lights in the living room (or wherever you are) hours before bedtime.
Relax before bed.

Tip 3: Use self-hypnosis for relaxation exercises

Fatigue syndrome can cause a lot of stress. Regular relaxation is therefore very important. Self-hypnosis helps to relax.

For example, you can do this exercise to relax:

Lie or sit on a bed or other comfortable place. Close your eyes and breathe deeply through your belly. Your belly then moves when breathing instead of the chest. Make sure the breaths are about the same length.

When you are relaxed, you can visualize being in a nice place. For example, you can visualize being on the beach and feeling the warmth of the sun.

Tip 4: Move with something that doesn't feel like moving

Compulsory exercise is more exhausting than exercise without feeling like exercise. Dancing, for example, is a form of exercise that is also widely used by elderly people with rheumatoid arthritis because dancing is fun on other levels than just moving. As a result, it actually gives one energy instead of taking energy.

Another form of exercise that doesn't feel like mandatory going to the gym is yoga. This is because yoga combines relaxation and movement. In doing so, the focus is often on flexibility rather than strength and conditioning, which reduces energy expenditure.

Forms of exercise that have been explored also include walking, swimming and cycling. If yoga or dancing doesn't work for you, you can also try these forms of exercise.

Tip 5: Seek help

Research shows that most people do not automatically get better from chronic fatigue syndrome. So it is very important to see a doctor if you suffer from fatigue for an extended period of time. Thereby, severe fatigue that does not go away after sleep may have another medical cause.

Want to learn more about mental techniques to help yourself or others? Then come to the free online master class on hypnosis.

Or register directly for one of these courses.

Also pin this handy infographic as a reminder:

chronic fatigue syndrome

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