Thank you, Jesus

Scottish Public Health Network recommends that a distinction be drawn between ME and CFS -  Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Sung in shimmering harmonies!

Those of us who have the neuroimmune illness ME have been screaming this from the rooftops for years, only to be told by the cult of Wesselyites that we are deconditioned and not motivated. (Insulting, patronising nonsense, of course.)

This document (for patients) is wonderful and I can only hope it pans out and does what it says on the tin: ME defined according to Canadian Clinical Guideline, and CFS (idiopathic fatigue/burnout/stress/ - or tired bankers - as reported recently in Telegraph) - defined according to NICE Guideline.

Everything suggests that CFS is a less disabling, less complex illness - post-exertional malaise (PEM) is not required for a diagnosis -  which seems to respond to CBT/graded exercise/having a year off. This is all fine and well if that is what you have. I would never - and will never - say I have CFS. I still recall about ten years ago a GP trying to tell me 'CFS is what it is called now' and that 'CBT was showing the best results'.

Oh, how I laughed.

The whole Scottish PHN report/background is here.