Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Support Group
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) describes a sense of exhaustion and post-exertion malaise, even when you have gotten enough rest and sleep. The disease is characterized by six months of incapacitating fatigue experienced as profound exhaustion and extremely poor stamina, and problems with concentration and short-term memory. The cause is unknown, but it is a...
I've had ME/CFS for almost 22 years. Today I got really depressed and just needed some encouragement, so I thought I'd look for online support groups. I was looking for someone to encourage me, but I'm feeling better psychologically, so I'm ready to encourage someone else. (Even though I'm still sick and tired of being sick and tired.)
If anyone needs a good book I recently finished one called "How To Be Sick", by Toni Bernhard. It was pretty good, and this author has had CFS almost as long as I have, so it was good to know I'm not alone.
It's really frustrating sometimes not being able to do much, and not being able to help out my daughter who has my only 2 grandkids and is overwhelmed. I was supposed to go help her take care of the kids so she could pack for moving, but I've been so week and shaky that I'm afraid I would drop the baby, or the 3-year-old might accidentally drown at the pool because I'm so mentally fogged. That's partly why I was feeling so down today. I just feel useless. Our society doesn't value (very much) people who can't be "productive". But I believe we're just as important as able bodied persons. We can still love others, and smile, and hug, and vote, and maybe go to a "black lives matter" rally once in awhile (or whatever cause we want to support).
Toni Bernhard talks about something she calls "empathetic joy" in her book. We can still have that kind of joy for our family and loved ones and be interested in them. My six kids need me around even if it's only to hug them once in a while or be able to encourage them on the phone sometime. And my husband wants me around for some reason. Probably he just doesn't want to be alone. :)
Well, I'll quit rambling. Just hang in there everyone. As John Denver said, "Some days are diamonds. Some days are stone." But hang on for the ones that are diamonds. They'll come around again. Go for a walk in your yard, sit in the grass for about ten minutes. Just take time to connect with the earth if you can. That'll help you connect with God, if you believe in that, and if you don't just connecting with nature is very healing. Love and hugs!
I read that same book a few years ago too and it helped me quite a bit.
Glad to hear from you. I'ts been very quiet here since they "updated" the website and made it harder to use and less friendly.