
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Support Group
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) describes a sense of exhaustion and post-exertion malaise, even when you have gotten enough rest and sleep. The disease is characterized by six months of incapacitating fatigue experienced as profound exhaustion and extremely poor stamina, and problems with concentration and short-term memory. The cause is unknown, but it is a...

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The 12 Suggested Steps of CFS Anonymous
1. We admitted we were powerless over CFS--that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to all CFS suffers, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
1. We admitted we were powerless over CFS--that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to all CFS suffers, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
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Thanks - Ruth
Thank you for your thoughts. I, like you, believe the 12 Steps of AA have much to teach those of us stumbling our way towards health....Thank you for your contribution...
Spirituality is the basis of the 12 Step Programs but to each person they can believe whatever they choose or not choose.
Personally I don`t see it as a moral issue at all.
I will take the first step.
1. We admitted we were powerless over CFS--that our lives had become unmanageable.
This is so true for me when I lost my job because I went out on FMLA. I was upset and overwhelmed by my medical condition and I couldn't figure out why doctors were treating me so badly. Then after months of letting go because I was too sick to do anything else I realized that a lot of these docs are victims of a medical system that cares more about profit than the patients and I realized I had no control over this.
The Serenity Prayer goes -
God, Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Not a whiff of pacifism in there! It's all about getting the gear you need for the journey. Being morally and spiritually fit ourselves is essential gear. It doesn't act as a cop out for anyone else's actions. That part isn't even about what anyone else does. It only makes sure we keep our own stuff cleaned up as part of achieving our own best possible recovery.
But that personal inventory stuff comes later on - at Step 4.
(Just because a meeting has any particular step as its theme doesn't mean that's the particular step you're working on yourself at the moment. They are in that particular order for good reason, and each one takes however long it takes. As you go along, you get to see how they all fit together. That guy on My Name is Earl has been on Step 9 for a couple of seasons already. So don't feel pressured to get them all at once. As they say - "More will be revealed." : )
I admit that i am powerless over CFS-that my life has become unmanageable. I hope and work for the best but understand that I have to listen to my illness, respect it, and find better and better ways to live with it. That's hard. But i have a feeling accepting my powerlessness is going to help me say No better and rest more and not think about it all so much.
I`am still somewhat of a newbie I guess you might say.
Rosanne
It's also probably possible to post each step and tradition here as we get on to each step and tradition. We'll have to just try it out and see if it works in this format, I guess.
Hugs to all that want one!
More chocolate, anyone?
I used alchohol and stimulants to give me a boost because I felt so tired and pained every day.
It was initially very difficult for me to abstain from drinking because I felt physically so much worse when I was sober. It wasn't fair - I was supposed to feel better - like everyone else in AA!!
The principles of AA have helped me to deal with the powerlessness I have over my alcoholism and my CFS
There have been some questions about the 4th step. In AA, we don't give advice. Instead we share our experience, strength and hope (ES&H).
My experience has been that a good way to start a 4th step is to make a list of all the people, places and things that you resent, especially oneself
Then go back to your list and write dwon why you feel the resentment and how that resentment effects you. (is it self-esteem, financial security, fear?)
The Big Book (the Alcholics Anonymous text) gives an example (just a suggestion!) of how to do this on page 65.
I don't expect that most of you reading this post have a copy of the Big Book lying around - lol. There is a copy available online at:
http://www.aa.org/bigbookonline/
The other major text that is used for working the 12 steps of AA is called the "12 Steps and 12 Traditions", fondly called the 12X12. There is no online version available as far as I know. But it can be purchased at any bookstore.
Although these books are written for alcoholics, it can work for any disease that effect's one's behaviors
Being afflicted with CFS makes me at times short-tempered, unreliable, pessimistic and resentful of others who are not sick. So the steps are applicable.
Usually people need to have reached a "bottom" of some sort to completely give themselves over to this program.
Having CFS/ME has had a more devestating effect on me than anything else - far worse than alcoholism or cancer. It has pushed me to the bottom financially, socially, physically.
I hope you can find some relief by working this simple program.
It is recommended that you do these steps with a "sponsor" - preferably someone else who suffers from the same illness or someone who has worked the steps before.
Remember that this is not a religous or moral program - it is a spiritual one.
Thanks Sharon, for introducing this subject