08/11/2025
CFS- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, it’s not just being tired.
ME/CFS doesn’t steal your life all at once. It takes it in pieces — a walk you can’t take, a call you can’t return, a world that moves too fast for a body that can’t keep up. But you smile, so they think you're fine.
It’s a sum of invisible symptoms that make it hard to be present physically and mentally.
Post-Exertional Malaise (PEM)-A worsening of symptoms after even minor physical or mental exertion — delayed and lasting days or weeks.
Cognitive Dysfunction ("Brain Fog")-Difficulty concentrating, processing information, finding words, or multitasking.
Orthostatic Intolerance-Dizziness, lightheadedness, or fainting when standing up, due to poor blood flow regulation.
Unrefreshing Sleep-Sleep that does not restore energy, regardless of how long the person rests.
Chronic Pain-Muscle pain, joint pain, or nerve pain not visible externally.
Hypersensitivity-To light, sound, touch, chemicals, or even mild stimuli — causing pain or fatigue.
Flu-like Symptoms-Sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, chills, and more, despite no active infection.
Emotional/mental burden-Anxiety, depression, isolation — often due to disbelief, invalidation, or medical gaslighting.
Join us in the attempt to make the invisible visible. You can do that by interacting with this post, sharing it with people you know, or becoming involved with our organization and others like us who dedicate themselves to support this patient population, the research to understand it better, and educating to make a difference.
