Advise given to us for recovery from ME/CFS

Thank you very much for your advice towards my recovery. 

When I come to your suggestion I will let you know.

Page from Into the Light by Corina Duyn

Many of us, perhaps all of us, who live with chronic illness, will have heard about the most wonderful, and weird, but (according the person giving us the advise) absolute certain ways to cure our illnesses...

Daily bee stings is one that stayed in my mind. The woman reputedly was bedridden with ME but played soccer after a few weeks of bee stings...
As "it" is in our heads, counseling will definately cure.
Exercise will cure: "Come over and we go mountain climbing."  
Truly- I have been told this at a time when I did not have the strength to break an eggshell.
Accupuncture. A very valualbe treatment. But I was told how well the treatment was going as I was able to tie my schoelaces again.  I was wearing easier to tie shoes...

... I am sure you all have your stories to tell  - I love to hear them

I believe that people try to be helpful.
They don't want us to be ill.
But the advise can be so unhelpful.

I was told by my counselor I saw during the early years to help me understand the illness, to respond with: "Thank you very much for your advice towards my recovery. When I come to your suggestion I will let you know." 

I have used this line often. It leaves both the giver of advise and the ill person with plenty of respect, and moves the conversation on to other topics.

Words from Into the Light  book about this topic.

Assurances of recovery 

Suggestion of cures

Advice out of kind ignorance 

do not lift the spirits

Especially 

when not grounded 

in reality

It can be intrusive

Advice offered

by someone

who takes time

to understand

your illness

or speaks from experience 

can be of great support 

Further reading and links

• My books, including Into the Light from which this image is taken, are available from my shop