Myth: ME is a mental health condition.
Fact: ME is a biological illness that disrupts the metabolism and impairs the brain, immune system and autonomic nervous system.
It often starts after an infection, common flu or COVID. Millions of people worldwide have ME, with about 75% of them being women. Many struggle with daily activities, up to 75% cannot work or attend school, and at least 25% of patients are so severely affected that they are housebound or bedridden.
Mental Health can affect Cognitive Function & Orthostatic Intolerance
IQ remains intact, but simple tasks can be challenging and may take much longer to accomplish than average. Cognitive difficulties can include finding words or numbers, short-term memory problems, difficulty or slowed responsiveness, and difficulty concentrating or multitasking. In addition, ME/CFS patients can also have problems with vision, such as blurred vision and depth perception, and are susceptible to light, sound and odour sensitivities.
Cognitive dysfunction is also a symptom that commonly occurs during post-exertional malaise, which is the hallmark symptom of ME/CFS, and can result from orthostatic intolerance, which is another very common ME/CFS symptom.
Orthostatic symptoms occur when standing up. People with ME/CFS may feel dizzy and lightheaded when standing upright and may even faint.
Dr. Bateman explains cognitive dysfunction well here.
Mental Health Affects Sleep
Sleep dysfunction can include:
Being unable to go to sleep (insomnia).
Disturbed sleep.
Waking up throughout the night.
Having intense and vivid dreaming.
A lack of deep, energy-restoring sleep.
