The process of coping and self-management in the experience of recovering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)

Andrews, Karen Joyce

Title: The process of coping and self-management in the experience of recovering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)
Creator: Andrews, Karen Joyce
Subject: Chronic fatigue syndrome
Subject: Chronic fatigue syndrome -- Psychological aspects
Date Issued: 2003
Date: 2003
Date: 2013-05-20
Type: Thesis
Type: Masters
Type: MSocSc
Identifier: vital:3094
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003132
Identifier: Chronic fatigue syndrome
Identifier: Chronic fatigue syndrome -- Psychological aspects
Description: A hermeneutical model of doing research is adopted to investigate the process of coping and self-management in the experience of recovering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Three research participants who consider themselves as recovering or recovered from CFS were interviewed to obtain data for analysis. The findings are that once the participants cope with the uncertainty about the meaning of the onset of symptoms by defining themselves as ill in somatic terms, the participants use external social and treatment resources to cope with the onset of symptoms and being chronically ill with CFS. As a consequence of feeling stigmatised in relation to social and professional scepticism about initially being ill and subsequently, being chronically ill with CFS, the participants become uncertain about the meaning of having CFS. Coping shifts to using internal resources by adopting self-management practises. In this process, firstly, existing self-management shifts in such a way that the participants view themselves as recovering or recovered from CFS, and secondly, the participants come to the understanding that difficulties with self-management cause and maintain CFS. The findings are discussed to conclude that CFS may be a misdiagnosis of difficulties with self-management. CFS itself may not be an 'objective' disorder, but a constituent of social processes. Becoming diagnosed with CFS arises as a consequence of the search for meaning in relation to the lay and professional assumption that psychological illness does not constitute 'real' illness, operating at both the levels of popular society and the doctor-patient relationship. Difficulties with self-management rather than the diagnosis of CFS provide a more adequate understariding of the participants' illnesses.
Description: KMBT_363
Description: Adobe Acrobat 9.54 Paper Capture Plug-in
Format: 154 p.
Format: pdf
Publisher: Rhodes University
Publisher: Faculty of Humanities, Psychology
Language: English
Rights: Andrews, Karen Joyce

Hits: 2139
Visitors: 2186
Downloads: 77

Collections

RU Department of Psychology

		Thumbnail	File	Description	Size	Format
View Details Download			SOURCEPDF	PDF	17 MB	Adobe Acrobat PDF	View Details Download