Dr. Mercola November 09 2002 1,353 views
A study involving multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) and asthma patients found that MCS patients suffered from depression and somatization disorder, in which patients complain of symptoms with no apparent cause, more often than asthmatics or healthy individuals.
Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) is a syndrome in which symptoms such as memory loss, fatigue, joint and muscle pain, and depression occur with exposure to low-level, everyday-type chemicals (cosmetics, detergents, soaps). Theories including allergy, toxins, and neurobiologic sensitization have been offered to explain the cause of MCS, however the diagnosis remains controversial as there is little evidence to suggest a causal relationship.
It has been suggested by researchers that the psychological problems associated with MCS may be a reaction to, rather than a result of, the syndrome. Some health care practitioners deny that MCS exists, others know little about it, which could, in itself, cause the patient to have anxiety and depression.
Though the study could not determine whether anxiety and depression were in fact cased by MCS, findings suggested that treating the psychological disorders would help physical symptoms to improve as well.
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine October 2002;44:890-901
Dr. Mercola's Comments:
Even though traditional medicine doesn't acknowledge this problem, there is no question that it is a very real syndrome.
People who are afflicted with this problem are seriously impaired and seem to react to nearly everything in their environment. No one is certain of the exact mechanisms involved here, but it likely that their detoxification mechanisms are so sufficiently impaired that even small exposures to minor irritants can have serious consequences that contribute to a variety of disabling symptoms.
It has been my experience that these symptoms are indeed very real and not in the person's mind. Our center has had incredible results in improving the health of most of the patients we see with this problem.
In nearly every case we find that there seems to be an emotional trauma very early on in the person's life that has set the stage for the major disruptions in their detoxification and immune systems. When they are adults, an exposure to a trigger can set the whole negative domino in action.
We use a variety of tools to help people with this problem. Following an optimized eating plan is one of them, but most MCS patients come in on very restricted diets already so this is not usually a problem.
We then use a variety of emotional balancing techniques like EFT. The impairment is usually quite profound, however, and simply following the instructions in my EFT manual would not be sufficient. A trained therapist would be highly recommended in these situations.
For many years I was a member of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine. This is the professional group that focuses on treating patients with this illness. Although a great group of physicians, they still rigidly adhere to a limited paradigm that sends their sickest patients off to a glass bubble-home in Texas to become social hermits.
It is sad, as many of these patients could have dramatic and complete recoveries if their bioelectrical short-circuiting was resolved through an effective emotional energetic intervention.
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The Medical Denial of Environmental Illnesses
I have had a propensity off and on for many years now to experience chemically- induced depression which leaves me feeling very flat and joyless until the biochemistry in my system changes for the better. I was diagnosed with MCS back in 1985 and have had regular periods of depression as a consequence of being unknowingly exposed to some nasty chemical that my system is unable to detoxify. In 2000 after quiet a number of years of reasonable health I became very ill ( ended up in ICU of hospital) with chemical poisoning as a result of paint,synthetic carpets and lino being introduced into my public housing residence and developed Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as a result. I had to leave my house and live in a caravan in my driveway during the winter for five months until the Dept could find me a suitable dwelling that had not been recently painted or recarpeted.
At the time of writing this I am feeling depressed as a result of aerial spraying for bitou bush near where I live and my kinesiologist tested me on her Avatar machine, which detects allergies and sensitivites with great accuracy, the day after the spraying as I was feeling upset due to the mood swing into depression and sure enough it showed up for the very chemical that they had used, Metsulfuron-methyl.
I have learnt basic EFT and use it myself with good results for day to day stresses and have had a friend who used this therapy with his clients do some work on my chemical sensitivities without result to date. I would welcome any suggestions as to how I might turn this around if that is possible using EFTor any modality for that matter that anyone else has had good results with for environmental illness. I am sick and tired of living like this at the effects of toxic chemicals that can impair my functioning and wellbeing.
Regards,
Christos