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Ashok Gupta (1993) on how an unwelcome illness changed the course of his life. I was at Robinson studying Economics from 1993-1997, and suffered from a disease called ME (also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), at the end of my second year. Now, most students feel tired some of the time because they often burn the candle at both ends (!), but this really was something extreme: “I assumed it would go away in time, but when it started interfering with my academic work, I began to get really worried. It felt like having severe flu 24 hours a day, I just couldn't shake off these flu-like symptoms…extreme exhaustion, difficulty thinking and concentrating, temperature fluctuations, sore throat, achy limbs and muscles, and I felt physically and emotionally drained and very weak.” Initially, I tried to pretend to friends and family as if there was nothing wrong, continuing to socialise as a way of trying to escape or deny the effects of the condition. Inevitably, this just made me feel much worse. At the time it was all quite a shock, and finally I had to degrade a year because I simply could not continue my studies. Fortunately, the college authorities were very understanding, and I had a huge amount of support, which made the experience easier to deal with. I was able to discuss the situation openly and in confidence with my Tutor. I then spent all of my free time researching the condition to try and get myself back to full health, but frustratingly a lot of the literature was very negative about the chances of recovery. I then turned my attention to the latest developments in brain neurology in relation to subconscious "sensitisation" responses, and that's where it suddenly all started to finally make sense! Although I had no formal medical training, I conducted several years of further research, and managed to get myself 100% healthy. I then wrote a paper which was published in a medical journal in 2002 (Medical Hypotheses Volume 59, Issue 6, 12 November 2002, Pages 727-735). There is a lot of controversy about ME, with some doctors believing it is “all in the mind”, despite the fact that there is a huge amount of evidence showing that it is a real physical illness, with abnormalities in the nervous system and the immune system. In my hypothesis, I believe that ME is a disease of the nervous system caused by abnormalities in a brain structure called the “amygdala”, which is deep in the unconscious brain. My research indicates that this brain structure over-stimulates the body continually, thereby causing chronic symptoms, and affecting every organ and system in the body. Normally the amygdala is out of conscious control, but using some novel techniques derived from the fields of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) and meditation, this brain structure can be influenced and “retrained”. Subsequently, I established a clinic in Central London, to help people with ME, as well as people suffering from other stress-related disorders, which have almost reached epidemic levels in London! This helped me to understand even more about ME, and to refine my therapies so that they would work for the vast majority of patients. Last year, I began a pilot study with 33 patients on my latest therapies for ME, which is showing very promising initial results, and I am applying for funding for a full independent medical trial this year. To make my latest treatments easier to access for patients, I recently created a DVD recovery programme with 12 interactive video sessions at my clinic, with an accompanying recovery manual. This has proved very popular, as patients often either can't afford to see therapists, or are too unwell to make the journey. I've often been asked if I have any advice for people on how they can make sure they avoid conditions such as ME, and I think there are things that people can do. Significantly reducing stress in life is absolutely crucial to reducing the chances of illness, as well as making sure that you have a healthy diet and are getting some exercise. Whilst it might all sound preachy and "we've heard it all before", I still observe that most people will put their careers and "getting ahead" above their health, which leads to a plethora of mental, emotional and physical illnesses. On a positive note, there is more awareness of the benefits of having a healthy lifestyle, so I am sure things will gradually change for the better! It has been an incredible journey for me over the past 10 years, and I feel a sense of gratitude that I am now better, and can use that experience to help others with this condition. If you are interested in finding out more, you can visit the website at www.guptaprogramme.com or call 0845 475 1 475.
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