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Chronic fatigue is a symptom of a number of illnesses, some of which are so rare that even doctors and specialists don't seem to comprehend the symptoms, or treatments for them. Illnesses such as Fibromyalgia, Polymyositis, Dermatomyositis or inflammatory illnesses or others which are often accompanied by severe fatigue, can be extremely frustrating to deal with.

When these illnesses occur and the body is spending all of its energy trying to cure itself, there isn't a lot of strength remaining to perform a persons regular daily activities and, this is where chronic fatigue becomes a very disturbing issue for those who have it. Feelings of failure, frustration, anger, insecurity and depression creep in. How can a person look so normal and yet be so totally unable to function? Jobs are usually let go of because there just isn't the strength to perform them anymore, and the accompanying money worries, only add to the psychological impacts of this illness. Insurance companies usually are unwilling to accept chronic fatigue as an illness, how can they, when even doctors often don't seem able to? This adds to the emotional feelings of incompetence. Friends are often slowly shifted away from either because of alienation from them, or because there just is no longer the energy that would be required, it just isn't plausible anymore to waste what little energy that is available on something so trivial as socializing.

Fatigue being a symptom that no one is able to see often times leads people to treat those who have it with skepticism. This includes the doctors and specialists who treat these illnesses as well as friends, family and everyday acquaintances. Often times laziness or depression are thought to be at the root of the fatigue and the individual and illness are not given proper physical or psychological treatment. This only leads to further alienation and increased feelings of frustration and isolation for the person with chronic fatigue syndrome. The psychological affects of this illness can be devastating and even more disturbing is the fact that the underlying illness does not get proper treatment. The illness itself remains because it does not receive the care, attention, or the treatment methods needed to control it.

I have a very rare illness known as Myositis and my first years with this were almost unbearable. I was 26 years old and yet some days just having the strength to drag my exhausted body to the kitchen table and back to bed again was a triumph. I could deal with the constant pain, and trust me it was down right nasty back then, but what I could not fight or get a grasp on was the fatigue. It made it impossible for me to have the energy to function in my life or to even think clearly enough anymore to comprehend even simple concepts. The fatigue is the factor that most disabled me and it is the factor that stole my life from me. Much more respect needs to be given to this silent thief, and to the physical, and psychological factors that go into creating it. Proper treatment leads to learning to live with their chronic illness and its accompanying fatigue, this knowledge then allows a person the ability to be as normal, as one can now be with their illness. On the site www.myositis.org a fellow termed it our "New Normal" and that seems very appropriate.

Just a quote from me: "It might be a good thing that I am so tired, because if I had the energy to care, I might be depressed about this"

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