Real Diseases - But Are Providers Keeping Up?

Monday November 9, 2009

Adrienne Dellwo, the About.com Guide to Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia has written a series of articles on groundbreaking research that has shown that a retrovirus called XMRV is likely the cause of chronic fatigue syndrome, and possibly fibromyalgia, too.

This explanation comes as a huge relief to the many sufferers from these debilitating diseases -- because before now, those two diseases have been a set of symptoms without a cause.

And because there was no more known than that, many physicians would not even acknowledge them as diseases, meaning, they would not diagnose them.

So think about that -- you are suffering symptoms that have a major impact on your life - you can't function, even though you were a happy, thriving person before. Yet, you go to a doctor who tells you that there is no diagnosis for you -- more like -- your problems, your symptoms, are all in your head.

There is never a better time for a patient to be empowered than during a time like this! It's insulting to be told your symptoms aren't real. And any physician who would tell you that isn't doing his or her job. Even if your problem is in your head, at the very least you should be referred to a psychologist who can help you sort them out.

But my guess is that those times that a patient is truly suffering physical symptoms due to mental health issues are far fewer than those when the patient is truly suffering and just needs someone to help manage the symptoms even when he or she can't get a diagnosis.

If you have experienced a provider who is so dismissive, arm yourself with next steps: