Back in 1975, Jacob Teitelbaum was working his way through
college. Then chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) derailed his life,
and he ended up sleeping on park benches in Oklahoma. "It
basically knocked me out of medical school," he said, "but I
learned more about how to treat this disease when I was homeless
than from my professors, who were pretty clueless about this
disease." Teitelbaum, now a medical doctor, researcher, lecturer
and author, learned there's no cut-and-dried method to treat —
or even diagnose –— this life-crippling condition. Criteria for
CFS Chronic fatigue syndrome is a complex disorder that can
devastate a victim's wellbeing and livelihood. It is
characterized by overwhelming fatigue that is not improved by
bed rest and may even be worsened by physical or mental
activity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, "People with CFS most often function at a
significantly lower level of activity than they were capable of
before the onset of the illness." Various estimates say