Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) - helping your child to get
better: information for parents, carers and anyone who works with
young people
About this leaflet
This is one in a series of leaflets for parents, teachers and
young people entitled Mental Health and Growing Up. The
aims of these leaflets are to provide practical, up-to-date
information about mental health problems (emotional, behavioural
and psychiatric disorders) that can affect children and young
people. This leaflet aims to explain what chronic fatigue syndrome
(CFS) is, its causes and symptoms, and offers practical advice
about how to get help for a young person who is suffering from
it.
Introduction
What is CFS?
The main symptom is extreme tiredness, which is not caused by
any other physical illness, and which can dominate your life. It
often starts as a flu-like illness. Common symptoms include:
- headaches
- aching muscles
- swollen glands.
Like other severe physical illnesses, CFS has some important
emotional and psychological effects (see
leaflet 27 on chronic physical illnesses). This
does not mean that it is `all in the mind', but that the whole
person is affected. It can be a long road to recovery.
What are the psychological effects of
CFS?
Generally, the child or young person may have the following
symptoms:
- feeling depressed
- feeling irritable
- feeling anxious
- having difficulty sleeping
- losing interest in food
- finding it difficult to concentrate or remember things
- feeling extremely tired
- getting headaches.
The disorder can seriously disrupt normal life. Your child may
be unable to:
- carry out their usual activities
- go out and see friends
- carry on with their hobbies.
School can be very difficult to cope with. Young people with
CFS may quickly become very unfit from staying in bed, or just
doing not very much for a long time. This causes rapid muscle loss
- even in healthy people. All these complications make recovery
more difficult.
Everyone in the family can feel the strain. You may have to
give up work to nurse your sick child. Brothers and sisters may
feel that they are being neglected. Parents may disagree about
whether the child is really sick, or is just
attention-seeking.
How can I get help?
The diagnosis of CFS can be difficult. In the early stages of
the illness, it may seem that no one knows what the problem is and
how to solve it. This can upset the child, who may feel that no one
believes that they are ill or understands. Relationships can become
difficult at home and at school.
Your general practitioner or school doctor will be able to
refer your child to a paediatrician or child psychiatrist for
treatment. The school, including the school nurse and psychologist,
will be able to help with problems at school. The support and
encouragement of family and friends are very important for good
recovery.
Treatment
The aim is to help the child or young person with CFS to
gradually resume normal activities. A programme of gradually
increasing gentle activity will help to rebuild your child's
muscles and fitness.
Family or individual counselling can help in overcoming
depression, anxiety, lack of confidence, poor motivation, or family
and relationship problems. It can be important to look at ways of
getting your child's education back on track by talking with your
child's teachers.
Carers can also feel stressed. You have to be very patient,
but also determined and optimistic, even when things seem bleak and
uncertain.
Often it is hard to know when to encourage your child, when to
comfort them or when to put pressure on them. You may also find
some expert advice helpful.
It can be helpful for everyone involved in helping a child
with CFS to meet and talk about progress from time to time. This
allows everyone to share ideas about the best ways forward -
physical, psychological and educational. Working as a team is
important and a regular review of progress is essential.
References
- Carr, A. (ed.) (2000) 'What Works with Children and
Adolescents?' - A Critical Review of Psychological Interventions
with Children, Adolescents and their Families. London:
Brunner-Routledge.
- Chalder, T. (1995) 'Coping with Chronic Fatigue'
(Overcoming Common Problems). London: Sheldon.
- Chalder, T. & Hussain, K. (2002) 'Self-Help for Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome- A Guide for Young People'. London: Blue
Stallion.
- Rutter, M. & Taylor, E. (eds) (2002) 'Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry' (4th edn). London: Blackwell.
- Scott, A., Shaw, M. & Joughin, C. (2001) 'Finding the
Evidence' - A Gateway to the Literature in Child and Adolescent
Mental Health (2nd edn). London: Gaskell.
Sources of further information
- Royal College of Physicians, Royal College of General
Practitioners & Royal College of Psychiatrists (1996)
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Council Report CR54). London:
Royal Colleges of Physicians, General Practitioners &
Psychiatrists. www.rcpsych.ac.uk/publications/index.htm.
- YoungMinds provides information and advice on child mental
health issues. 102-108 Clerkenwell Rd, London EC1M 5SA; Parents'
Information Service 0800 018 2138; www.youngminds.org.uk.
- The Royal College of Paediatricians and Child Health have
produced a leaflet for children and young people on CFS/ME.
http://www.rcpch.ac.uk/%20
- AYME (pronounced ‘aim’) is now the largest national charity for
children and young people with ME aged 5 to 25. www.ayme.org.uk
-
The Mental Health and Growing Up series contains 36
leaflets on a range of common mental health problems, including
discipline, behavioural problems and conduct disorder, and
stimulant medication. To order the pack, contact Book Sales at the
Royal College of Psychiatrists, 17 Belgrave Square, London SW1X
8PG; tel. 020 7235 2351, ext. 146; fax 020 7245 1231; e-mail:
booksales@rcpsych.ac.uk, or
you can download them from this website
-
The Young ME Sufferers Trust is a national charity specialising
in the educational needs of children with CFS/ME. Tel: 01245
401080; www.tymestrust.org.
.
© [2006] Royal College of
Psychiatrists. This leaflet may be downloaded, printed out,
photocopied and distributed free of charge as long as the Royal
College of Psychiatrists is properly credited and no profit is
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Please note that we are unable to offer advice on individual cases. Please see our FAQ for advice on getting help.
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