Cognitive behavioral therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that is used as a management technique for a wide range of life-altering events, including serious and/or chronic illness such as cancer and multiple sclerosis. In these contexts, it helps patients to adapt to their health condition.

CBT is often proposed as a treatment for ME/CFS. However, in this context, its goal is frequently to disabuse patients of purportedly false illness beliefs.

CBT is one of the therapies used in the controversial PACE trial.

United Kingdom
This video shows excerpts from a British training video. CBT is offered (free of charge) to patients by the British National Health Service (NHS).

Articles explaining CBT not appropriate for ME/CFS

 * 2015, The Chokehold Behavioral Treatments Have on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome by ProHealth


 * 2015, No decisions about ME without me by ME Association


 * 2015, ME Research UK Slams Lancet Psychiatry Report Advocating Exercise For Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Sufferers by ME/CFS Australia (SA) Inc.

Notable studies

 * 2009, A review on cognitive behavorial therapy (CBT) and graded exercise therapy (GET) in myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) / chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS): CBT/GET is not only ineffective and not evidence-based, but also potentially harmful for many patients with ME/CFS (Frank Twisk)
 * 2016, Group Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 * July 3, 2017, the CDC's Chronic Fatigue Syndrome page has been changed to Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and GET and CBT recomendations have been removed.

Learn more

 * 2001, Cognitive behaviour therapy and chronic fatigue syndrome
 * 2013, Wiley - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Part Two. Specific Disorders (Trudie Chalder)
 * 2016, Editorial: Cognitive-behavior therapy: why is it so vilified in the chronic fatigue syndrome community? by Fred Friedberg
 * 2018, New study questions use of talking therapy as a treatment for schizophrenia by University of Hertfordshire
 * Wikipedia