Yuppie flu........ For those who realise what this statement refers to may find this 'term' hard to hear.
But here's why I've learnt to laugh when I hear it
Yuppie Flu is a term used some years ago to describe sufferers of M.E (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) or C.F.S (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome).
In the 1980s, CFS/M.E was referred to as "yuppie flu", because those who would seek medical diagnosis for the illnesses where often people in their thirties and forties with high incomes and education levels. Since then, doctors have seen the syndrome in people of all ages, socio-economic levels and ethnic backgrounds. Very little was known about the conditions and there are no blood or medical tests to identify the illness. What we do know is that it is connected to and the over excitement of the immune system.
I have had M.E for nearly 20 years and it has been a roller coaster of a ride. I found myself very lonely and misunderstood, not just by everyday people but also by medical professionals.
Having encountered periods of illness from the age of 14, being misdiagnosed with a nervous breakdown at 21, and being finally diagnosed at the age of 25, I feel M.E is now a very good friend which positively impacts on the type of person I am today.
I developed symptoms at the age of 14 after a bout of debilitating flu. Unfortunately at that time the illness was not commonly recognised, which is why it was over looked until diagnosis 10 years later.
There are a plethora of symptoms and they are rarely the same from patient to patient.
At such a young age I did not want to be told to go home and rest by doctors, to avoid being over active, to take pain killers! I wanted to fight against it .......... I wasn't going to let it beat me, it was an enemy I wanted to suppress.
It took me a long time to realise that being driven by that kind of thinking was a very unhealthy approach.
You see.......... I had enough..... of saying why me...... of relying on others to 'fix' me..........of my emotions bringing me down..............of feeling the world was against me............going to bed in the afternoon.........etc. I can tell you now that you can be prone to very dark thoughts when your health debilitates you.
Although I have never actually told my sister this, it was her gift of a yoga DVD one Christmas that set my recovery in action........That simple gift saved my life.
'Well I've got to give it ago' I thought, 'at least the intensity level of exercise will be less extreme'.
I found it very difficult!... There I am bent over and I'm instructed to move in to 'downward facing dog'.
Hold on ..... What in Gods big white y fronts is that?........I can't even see the screen........I'm going to have to pause it........ Needless to say I did persevere and saw marked improvements in my physical health. However what got me truly hooked was how much it calmed my thought process, how much more focused I became. I began to feel a reason to actual live and not just to continue to exist.
The yoga opened a door, I tried meditation (very unsuccessfully at first) and now include both yoga and meditation in my daily routine. I also tried Bowen therapy, reflexology, massage, herbal treatments and other complementary therapies. I assessed my diet, I stopped drinking (alcohol obviously). I cut out wheat, dairy, caffeine and sugar..... my friends tell me I live like a nun! I like to think I'm a health fanatic for all the right reasons.
I was fortunate to visit a specialist in the illness, Dr Anthony Pinching (now Prof Pinching as he is retired). Click on the link to see his bio
http://www.actionforme.org.uk/get-informed/about-us/people/patrons/professor-pinching-biography
I was signed on to a course of individual and group Psychotherapy. This has proved unbelievably beneficial. I never realised how powerful our minds can be, how our thought processes have such dramatic effects on our lives. “Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right.”
― Henry Ford
What this journey has emphasized to me is not the lack of information available to those who face the circumstances I did all those years ago, but how much time and research it takes to find help that is right for each individual. This information should be available to everyone. Fortunately attitudes have changed in recent years. Many medical professions recognise the importance of over all wellbeing and actively encourage the use of complementary therapy alongside orthodox treatment
This search for health, happiness, fun and adventure has encouraged me to help those who face difficulties with health, happiness, stress, diet, addictions, depression, anxiety, motivation and most of all positivity. To help those who do not know what to do or where to turn. I laugh at life (with life), I take nothing seriously. There is no big problem that can't be broken down in to more manageable tasks, no soul that can't be saved.
What the world needs now is love, sweet love It's the only thing that there's just too little of - Burt Bacharach
What the world needs now is love, sweet love It's the only thing that there's just too little of - Burt Bacharach
I now run a company called Wellbeing Winnie which is aimed at healing and maintaining the body and mind with the most natural means as possible. It aims to help all (not just for those with precarious health) with finding motivation, inspiration and a meaningful purpose to live, strive, achieve and grow.
Check out WellbeingWinnie
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