Dr. Martina Melzer, published: 4/21/25
Professor Michael Sadre-Chirazi-Stark is a specialist in psychiatry and psychosomatic medicine and is also a psychological psychotherapist. He has been working and researching fatigue disorders and stress for over 30 years and is the director of the Institute for Behavioral Therapy, Stress and Fatigue Research in Hamburg.
The interview is in German, please activate subtitles and choose language!
Some important points from the interview:
What ME/CFS, Long Covid and Postvac are:
- Not clearly definable, best described according to the Canadian criteria, then you can make a diagnosis. There is currently no clear biomarker, so the diagnosis is made on the basis of the typical symptoms.
- The diseases are often misinterpreted as burnout or mental exhaustion, but ME/CFS in particular is considered a serious neuroimmunological disease.
The role of the autonomic nervous system:
- The autonomic nervous system plays an important role, Prof Stark looked at this in more detail and was able to measure abnormalities: In all patients, persistent sympathetic overexcitation could be detected, whereas the parasympathetic nervous system was virtually unmeasurable (despite the patient being at rest). This leads to disturbances throughout the body - in the immune system, intestines, blood vessels, etc.
- The measurements: Prof Stark measures the basic muscular tension in the body, which is increased in people with ME/CFS, LC and Postvac. He also determines the heart rate variability (HRV), which is too low in those examined. Furthermore, muscle electrical activity is examined, which decreases in those affected instead of increasing through physical activity as is normally the case.
ME/CFS or depression:
- ME/CFS is not a mental illness, not classic depression, it is a somatic illness, but of course the psyche also plays a role.
What can help?
- There is hope, says Prof Stark, ME/CFS, LC and Postvac can be improved. Unfortunately, medical care lacks the resources to provide adequate support for the people affected. It is possible to work one's way out of the dramatic situation, but it is very laborious.
- Important points on the road to recovery: appropriate therapeutic support; education about the disease and the role of the autonomic nervous system; getting people to act; self-care; knowing the limits of performance, accepting them benevolently and knocking on them, not avoiding everything completely; setting new priorities; regular breaks; breathing techniques; relaxation methods; stimulating the self-healing powers.
Prof Stark's current research projects:
- The above-mentioned studies on the autonomic nervous system
- Functional MRI: Here, signs of inflammation in the brain were detected, which may also be an indication of a connection with chronic stress. Chronic stress can promote ME/CFS, LC and Postvac and has a reinforcing effect on the maintenance of the diseases.
https://www.prof-stark-institut.de/cfs-forschungsprojekt (German)
Support Prof. Stark's research with a donation (he depends on it!):
https://www.betterplace.org/de/projects/75967 (German)
Medication:
- Drugs such as low dose naltrexone / aripiprazole / lithium can be used, nutritional supplements such as creatine, ayurvedic and naturopathic preparations, sleeping pills and sedative drugs. The administration of medication should be discussed very individually and thoroughly with an experienced doctor.
Working with Prof Stark:
English: https://prof-stark.com/
Online self-help program (German):
https://www.prof-stark-fatigue-zentrum.de/
Telemedicine support (German):
https://chc-prof-stark.de
Manuals for psychotherapists for the treatment of ME/CFS patients (German):
https://prof-stark-akademie.de
Prof. Stark on Instagram (German):
https://www.instagram.com/prof.stark.fatigue.zentrum/?hl=af
Facebook (German):
https://www.facebook.com/PraxisProfstark/
Translated with DeepL
The content on this page is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for talking to your doctor or other therapist. Please talk to your doctor or
therapist before making any decisions about your physical or mental health. Every way into a mind-body syndrome is something individual, and every way out.
