I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue when I was 16 (Im now 32) I physically couldn't get out of bed in the morning, like my body was made of cement- I wasn't depressed, I had many friends, but I lived in a very emotionally mentally abusive household where there was yelling EVERY day of my life, I learned to navigate my home with as little interaction as possible- when I turned 18 my life changed- I started college- I was out of the house and I started working out- I had an over abundance of energy and was 'cured' for many years..about 2 years ago certain traumatic things happened one after the other and as a result I am now 'relapsed', constant pain etc. I wish I had a quick remedy for u, but understand that your environment has an effect on u- and u deserve better, but these are the cards u are dealt, the situation u are currently in is Not permanent, right now u are a minor- but the more time u spend out of the house the better, even if its just to the library, u could also join a sport maybe? than u could make new friends and also get physical activity, u should also speak to your dr about getting a therapist- an adult u can speak freely with about everything that is going on- don't tell your parents any of your plans until u have them in play- if they are anything like my parents growing up, they would show me all the ways in which what I wanted was wrong and how I would fail- the more u begin to spread your wings and make your own decisions the stronger will u feel...I wish u the best...

There are things other than CFS that have the same sorts of symptoms and ideally you should get lots of tests done to make sure you don't have one of them that can be treated. I'm not sure how you can do that if your family isn't supportive. Is there any adult in your life who you feel you could talk to about it?

As for knowing more about it, here is a link that someone put up on this site and I have saved as being a good one.

www.cfsknowledgecenter.com/mecfs.php

I don't know how to make it so you can just click on it, but when I copied and pasted it to the address bar, it loaded for me.

Hi, I have had ME/CFS since I was 16. I got it after a bout with mono. Have you ever had any serious infections? Sometimes ME/CFS comes about after serious infection. I feel for you so much. I know what it is to be young and feel so unwell. I think you really need to find a doctor who understands fatigue-based illnesses. You'll likely have lots of tests. It may be a long road to find a diagnosis, but it's a good idea to get a diagnosis. It very well may be ME/CFS, but you have to rule out other things too. We are here to support you. It sounds like you need a friend. Blessings on you, dear one.

Hi Ollie, grade 5 is awfully young to start feeling so unwell. I'm really sorry you haven't been able to talk to your parents about it. You definitely need to see a doctor, to try to work on a diagnosis. It may take awhile, so please don't get discouraged. There is really no test to confirm that you have CFS. Rather, other diseases are eliminated that may be causing your malady. Then, if everything else is eliminated, then CFS is the only thing left and that is your diagnosis. Since you have a lot of muscle pain, you may also have fibromyelgia. Some people have one or the other and some people have both. Your doctor can refer you to a therapist too. That should really help you, since your parents aren't filling the role they should be. It's difficult being sick when others around you are well. You really need someone to talk to and you need some support in all this. We are here for you and I hope you'll share with us how the visit with your doctor goes. Some doctors don't believe CFS is a real illness. If your doctor is one of those, then you will need to find another doctor. So good luck my dear. This has been going on unattended to, for much too long. It's time to get going on it, as there are some things that may help you feel a lot better. The bad news is that there is presently no cure. We hope to hear from you soon. Love and hugs from Cheryl xo

I am glad you have reached out to this group. I am also sorry that you have few supports around you. So I suggest that you look a bit more broadly for support. If you go to church or would consider going to church, or another religious organization, that is one place for help. You could call up the church and tell them that you have a problem and are afraid to talk to your parents because of the abuse. Ask if you could speak to one of the ministers. At a minimum, if they are good listeners, you will be able to tell your story. You could also ask them what you could do next. What resources are out there for teenagers? You might have better luck at a larger Church because they have more resources and tend to pay their ministers more so they are generally more knowledgeable. If you don't like that idea and you live in a fairly big city I would look for Gatherings that feed teenagers. Generally anyone can come. You can eat and ask the leader how you could get some help for your problem. I definitely think you do have a health problem and it's great to get it evaluated. I don't think you have waited too long. Many people go much longer before getting chronic fatigue diagnosed.

Feel free to write a reply to this. This is my first day on this group so I don't quite know how everything works. If it's possible to send a personal message you are also welcome to do that. My guess is that that you need someone to talk to as a first step and someone to talk to as you take steps to get answers.