ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a case of a 23-year-old woman who comes to see psychiatrist with intense fatigue. She says it has been going on for 9 months, and started after a viral infection that she caught while on a visit to relatives. At the time she had a fever, sore throat, aching muscles and felt drained. Treatments on offer include pacing of energy usage, cognitive behaviour therapy, graded exercise and symptomatic medication. Different treatments are appropriate for different people. Various places have CFS teams that include a range of disciplines including physiotherapists, community nurses, occupational therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists who work together around agreed treatment protocols. Randomised controlled trials of medication either show no statistical differences or give equivocal results and have been difficult to replicate. The most important factor appears to be a positive and empowering approach to treatment, with a good relationship between sufferer and clinician.
