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Unlike AIDS, which is brought on by the HIV virus, the agent of ME is yet to be discovered, but the fact remains that both diseases involve malfunctioning immune systems. Dr Nancy Klimas, an AIDS and ME/CFS researcher and clinician, splits her clinical time between the two illnesses. "My HIV patients for the most part are healthy and hearty thanks to three decades of intense and excellent research and billions of dollars invested. My CFS patients, on the other hand, are terribly ill and unable to work or participate in or care for their families," she said in 2009. "I can tell you that if I had to choose between the two illnesses [AIDS and ME/CFS] I would rather have HIV."So if ME is an immune disorder, I can't understand why the only recommended treatments are cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and graded exercise. Mental illness is, quite rightly, finally starting to see some parity with physical illness (as if the two weren't inextricably linked in the first place) but how the fuck is CBT supposed to ease the physical symptoms of ME?As for graded exercise, which involves gradually increasing patients' level of exercise over a period of time, that's not just insulting but potentially dangerous. An Action for ME report found that of those who had tried graded exercise, almost half said it made their symptoms worse, while the Hummingbirds' Foundation for ME reported that 82 percent of severely affected patients said it made their symptoms worse.ME receives far less in research funding than other illnesses, which is why both its agent and cure remain such a mystery.
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Interested in stories about mental health? Read: The VICE Guide to Mental Health and watch our short film, 'Maisie'
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