The Welsh singer says she thinks ‘chronic stress’ caused her illness
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Singer MARINA announces a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome.
Singer MARINA announced that she had been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome and myalgic encephalomyelitis in an Instagram post on Wednesday.
“I’ve had symptoms like deep fatigue, numbness, tingling, lack of appetite, brain fog, skin rashes, insomnia and feeling ‘poisoned’ for so long that it It’s hard to remember how healthy it feels,” said the Welsh singer-songwriter. writing.
MARINA – who burst onto the UK music scene with the hit 2010 album The family jewelsrecorded under her former stage name “Marina and the Diamonds” – shared that she had been suffering from fatigue for “a long time”.
“My base energy level was 50-60%… Aside from a few periods of remission, the last 7 years have been all about relying on adrenaline and willpower to push me through each day.”
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According to the Mayo Clinic, the disorder “causes extreme fatigue that lasts for at least six months. Symptoms worsen with physical or mental activity but do not completely improve with rest.
Some people also experience “headaches, sore throats, and sore lymph nodes in the neck or armpits.” Sensitivity to light, sound, smell, food, and medication has also been reported.
For MARINA, 37, her recovery “began 2 months ago after an unusually severe flare-up that involved shooting pains and burning sensations in her hands, legs and back. After consulting countless doctors, I started working with a functional medicine practitioner to find the root cause of the symptoms.”
This isn’t the first time MARINA has spoken openly about her health issues: She spoke to PEOPLE in 2021 about her mental health struggles — and, in particular, how she’s addressed them in her music.
Related: Renowned Scientist’s Son Describes His Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: ‘A World of Pain, Loss and Agony’
“I felt so deeply depressed and so lost for a good two years that I tried everything to get out of it,” she said, thinking back to Love + Fear, his first album after dropping the stage name “Marina and the Diamonds”. “Songs like ‘Orange Trees’ and ‘Enjoy Your Life’ were just desperate attempts to create happiness in my life because I didn’t have it.”
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Jamie McCarthy/Getty
MARINA announced her diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome on Instagram.
In her Instagram post, the singer (full name: Marina Diamandis), explained how she believed her chronic fatigue syndrome and myalgic encephalomyelitis diagnosis came about.
“I now understand that these symptoms are the result of an oversensitive nervous system, developed in response to chronic stress. My body felt stuck in “fight or flight” mode and there were many warning signs it gave me before the worst symptoms set in.
Related: MARINA Shines Free & Heals From Heartbreak On ‘Ancient Dreams’ Album: "You must be your compass"
The Mayo Clinic confirms that “significant emotional stress” can indeed be a cause of chronic fatigue syndrome – along with genetics. People can also develop the syndrome as a result of a bacterial or viral infection.
And while MARINA says she’s retired from her ‘creative life’ as she focuses on her recovery – her last album was 2021 Ancient dreams in a modern country — she adds that she “worked out for the first time in a long time yesterday and it felt so good. 🩷”
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