Women, Men, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Submitted by bronxman on Thu, 2013-10-31 15:00

Article here. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) is on the rise. Some more suspicious people feel it is a code word for laziness for it often strikes people when they are confronted with the severtity of their work. It strikes women to men in a ratio of 6 to 1. First, I cannot help but think that if this "struck" men, we would be laughing stocks. Second, despite the fact that there are now seven national centers for women's diseases and none for men, that funding will be taken from men's disease research to research this. Finally, I cannot help but wonder if the suspicions are true: that some women in the traditionally male disciplines, just cannot hack it (not all, mind you, but some). For that is the news we would certainly here if the genders were reversed. Excerpt:

'Jennifer Brea kept getting slammed by recurring illness as she was working on her doctorate in political science at Harvard University. But the extent of her declining health didn't hit her until last year, when she went to a restaurant and said her brain was so foggy she couldn't even read the menu.

Today, at 31, she is on medical leave from Harvard, disabled by myalgic encephalomyelitis, or ME -- "the most prevalent and devastating disease your doctor has never heard of," she said. Her illness is better known as chronic fatigue syndrome in the United States, a name Brea said does a disservice to the severity of her symptoms.

"I can't drive. I can't leave my house unattended, and I'm in a wheelchair," said Brea, who lives with her husband in Princeton, N.J. "Even sitting in a wheelchair is taxing for me. It is pretty much impossible for me to do what I was doing before."'

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Comments

First, agreed, if it struck men in that ratio to women, I imagine the public would be more skeptical of the claims of the afflicted. That said, it's typical that when or if a man or men indicate that he or they are not feeling well or up to doing something, he or they are encouraged if not possibly pressed into going ahead and doing it anyway. Plenty of genuinely ill men in the history of armies have been accused of "goldbricking" (or equivalent terminology) even when running 101-degree fevers. As for the suggestion that $ could be transferred from male-specific disease research or research into diseases striking mostly men to this disease or any other that affects women or mostly women: it's already happened/happening. Look at how much $ has been diverted into breast cancer research, for a start, while prostate and other more-likely-to-strike-males disease research gets put on the back burner.

Nonetheless, CFS is a real disease, I have no doubt of that, and I also doubt that too many people would or even could fake the symptoms for too long. Also, the symptoms are far greater than a person just not being able to cut it at work. That looks like this: job burn-out, followed by quitting, followed by a few weeks off, followed by re-assessing one's chosen career, followed by making decisions that lead to possibly less income in the short-term but greater happiness long-term... and the beat goes on. But a person can also fall into a depression which can last for some time, but if he or she is not afflicted by a serious form of long-term depression (usually these have a strong biological component and would probably have surfaced earlier in life, assuming we are talking about a person who is maybe 30 or so), they will come out of it in time to get their work life back in order.

CFS however can totally takes the wind out of a person's sails. Some are lucky in that it isn't this bad, but for a lot of others, they get completely exhausted doing the smallest task and can do little more than lie down and eat and go the bathroom. Even these activities are exhausting. And on top of it, they get severely despondent (who wouldn't be?), so it is reinforced that way also. The health risks are significant: atrophy of the muscles and soft connective tissues, loss of bone mass, circulatory problems due to lying or sitting still for long periods, etc. It cuts years off a person's life and makes them a shut-in, putting yet another person on more or less permanent disability.

CFS sucks.

So I feel bad for anyone who has it or gets it. But bronxman, I do pretty much agree with your observations vis-a-vis public perceptions re men and illness v. women and illness; women get: "Oh, you poor dear!" while men get: "Quit whining you sissy and get back to work!" Same sh*t, different day.

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Submitted by Matt on Fri, 2013-11-01 02:26

Matt, brother.

I am deeply sorry if my suggestion that CFS was a farce, offended you. That was not my intent. My intent was to frame possibilities and highlight those what would likely disparage men.

I suspect you understand that, but I feel the onus to be direct about it.

And I really enjoy your posts and your awareness of all aspects of these issues.

Tom

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Submitted by bronxman on Fri, 2013-11-01 09:19

Thanks for your kind concern, Tom, but I never actually imagined you were suggesting CFS was a sham disease. Much of my typing out re CFS was to make most readers who may not be familiar with it to know more abt it. CFS is still relatively rare, thankfully, like diseases such as Von Hippel-Lindau Disease or Huntington's Disease. Uncommon diseases indeed, but there are enough ppl inflicted with them that you may meet someone or know someone affected by them. Unlikely, yes-- but possible.

But honestly, Tom, no apologies necessary. Indeed, discussions of all kinds are gladly encouraged, and disagreements, introductions of new information, formulating arguments, getting one's POVs and/or facts challenged-- all very welcome on MANN! Only thing that's checked is name-calling/personal attacks. And these don't occur too often.

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Submitted by Matt on Sat, 2013-11-02 00:51