Chronic fatigue syndrome: Using cognitive-behavioral therapy

For most people, therapy usually consists of weekly one-hour visits over the course of just a few weeks or months. Longer-term and/or more frequent therapy is available for those who need it. Here are some of the techniques a cognitive-behavioral therapist may teach you:

• Keeping an energy diary. This can serve as a guide for what limits you should set on your activities and how to plan your day according to how your energy level changes throughout the day.
• Confronting discouraging thoughts. This will help you move from the idea that “I'm not strong enough” to the idea that “I will find evidence to show that I can control this disease.”
• Learning to be flexible. This can help you adapt when your energy levels vary from their usual pattern.
• Setting limits. Many people with CFS need to learn how to pace themselves to avoid over-exercising and bringing back their fatigue.
• Prioritizing and delegating tasks. You can identify jobs or activities that are more important for you to perform and assign family and friends to perform others.
• Accepting relapses. It’s easy to do too much too soon and it’s important to accept what happens when you do that, and then move on.

Therapy can be expensive and may not be covered by insurance, but the fact that it is usually short-term helps keep the cost down.

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