ABSTRACT
Chronic illness poses a number of unique stresses on the individual. In the case of CFS, this stress may include the loss of life roles, coping with a range of unpleasant and confusing symptoms, dealing with medical professionals who are not always convinced about the validity of the illness, financial implications such as loss of income and ongoing medical expenses, and dealing with the emotional responses to the illness. The way in which patients cope with such stress can determine how well they adapt to their illness, and in some cases, whether or not they recover from it. Adaptation to the illness can be defined as both the level of disability afforded by the illness and the psychological responses to it.
