Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, CFS – Anxiety Like Medical Condition

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) drains a person’s energy to the point that they are unable to attend to their normal activities of daily life. The fatigue is prolonged in nature and may last anywhere from a month to years. Chronic fatigue syndrome affects twice as many women as men.

Signs and Symptoms

• Feeling of being in a fog and unable to concentrate or remember
• Headaches
• Low-grade fever (100.4 F) and chills
• Muscle and joint aches
• Severe fatigue that comes on suddenly, especially after you've had the flu
• Sore throat and swollen glands

The cause of CFS is unknown, but some believe that a virus may be responsible. There appears to be a correlation between extreme stress or anxiety, poor nutritional patterns, and flu-like symptoms that linger on.

NOTE: We highly recommend that you have a complete medical evaluation done anytime you have a medical concern. Medical professionals are well trained to identify serious medical conditions. It's recommended that you fully describe your symptoms to your doctor, then work with her/him through to the correct diagnosis.

While there are many anxiety-like medical conditions, most conditions have uniquely identifiable symptoms UNCOMMON to anxiety. If you have seen your doctor and he/she has ruled out this anxiety-like medical condition, you can feel confident that their diagnosis is correct. If, however, you feel he/she has missed something, you should persist with your doctor until you are satisfied. You may also want to get second and even third opinions if you are still unsatisfied.

Because it is common for anxiety sufferers to 'over worry' about their symptoms (since so many conditions produce anxiety-like symptoms we often scare ourselves when we look at all of the conditions we COULD have), having a thorough medical evaluation completed will most often alleviate these fears.

For a more detailed explanation about all anxiety symptoms, why symptoms can persist long after the stress response has ended, common barriers to recovery and symptom elimination, and more recovery strategies and tips, we have many chapters that address this information in the Recovery Support area of our website.