CFS/ME is not the same as MS.
Viruses such as Epstein-Barr are often highlighted.
However, these are not to blame by themselves. Often the body is in an incredibly weakened state due to stress, so it doesn't properly recover from the virus. Moreover, there are scientific reports to claim that merely stress can cause such fatigue.
Stress can be caused by the pressure to somehow pay all the bills and submit to the incredible pressure to pioneer. Also, there is the stress of elders ...some are blatantly passive-aggressive tinpot dictators, high on power-trips... and whether meant or not, the micro-managing every aspect of one's life, doing inspections, disciplining in front of others, ..... etc., often for matters that are petty and personal, e.g. a brother struggling to follow the pressure to be an appointed man, but his hair is a millimetre too long, or his car just too nice, or an elder doesn't like his girlfriend, or he plays sports too much, or he was caught not showering everyday (remember a congregation co-ordinator sniffing a brother !?), or he must be a serial killer because, oh no, horror of horrors, he has a neat well-kempt beard (!)
JW life = incredible levels of stress :. the body can't take it, and this is revealed by poor health.
The result is that people are highly-strung. There can be real tension. Seen many Witness sisters with blatant undiagnosed or denied conditions such as PTSD, who perhaps unwittingly take out their condition on others, who in turn suffer stress. Moreover, the circuit overseer will often ignore issues, calling them a personality clash, when it's not the matter of one person being outgoing or another quiet.
In this sense, we find similarity to PTSD, insomnia, nervous breakdowns, burnout, depression, food/chemical intolerances, lupus, overdrinking, overeating, grudges, jealousy, and so forth.
I have met an incredible number of Witnesses with CFS/ME or other stress-related problems. About a third of the Witnesses I know, while I know few worldly people with such conditions.
Anyone who denies such illnesses exist, doesn't have a clue what they are taking about.
In general, Jehovah's Witnesseses are incredibly intolerant, rude, and uncaring of those with stress-related illnesses, because the religion so conditions people - the idea is to give every last ounce of energy to Kingdom Service, even if you are struggling.
However, it does seem that many Witnesses claiming to have CFS/ME may actually have depression, which has some similar symptoms - the main difference being that physical or mental exercise usually makes a depressed person feel better, while it usually makes some with CFS/ME feel worse.
Pushing yourself to just work on like normal while having such illnesses is not beneficial. It can result it FMS. However, moderate, light exercise can help to strengthen one. Regular pioneering, full-time work, etc., would not be possible unless you had some very mild form of CFS/ME.
