Depression Learning

Is there a Link between Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Depression?

It is normal to feel depressed and fatigued from time to time. It is even normal to ache in your joints every now and then, but when depression, fatigue, muscle and joint pain take away your ability to live your life, there is something definitely wrong. When the medical professionals cannot identify what is causing your symptoms, they come to the conclusion that you must have chronic fatigue syndrome, or fibromyalgia.

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is more common than one might think. There are about 500,000 people in the United States who have chronic fatigue syndrome. Just as fibromyalgia is common, so is CFS. A diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome is done by ruling out any other condition that could be causing the fatigue. Chronic fatigue syndrome manifests with severe fatigue that interferes with your quality of life. You may also experience muscle pain (myalgia) and joint pain (arthralgia). If you have CFS you may also get feverish from time to time and have chills. Your lymph nodes may also be swollen, tender and painful. People who suffer from CFS often have depression symptoms. The depression symptoms are relevant to inactivity, which is related to the fatigue and the pain and discomfort. It is depressing to suffer with this condition, because so many people still don’t understand it.

Chronic fatigue syndrome is very similar to fibromyalgia. Some doctors are not even convinced that CFS is a real disorder. If you have chronic fatigue syndrome, or fibromyalgia, you may have family members and friends that don’t take your fatigue, pain and discomfort seriously. You may have had to go from doctor to doctor before you could get a physician to listen to you. Having a disorder, such as chronic fatigue syndrome, is extremely disabling; therefore, to have people in your life who don’t believe you is very distressing, and depressing. You get so tired of defending yourself from people who suggest that your pain is “all in your head.” You might even get angry at these people who, without saying it, are calling you crazy.

All too often people who have chronic fatigue syndrome feel totally alone. You not only have to deal with CFS, but you have to deal with the accusations that your “condition” is in your head, or that you are seeking attention. Fortunately, health care professionals are accepting the evidence that chronic fatigue syndrome is a real medical condition, and not a psychological one.

Years ago, if you were to go to the doctor with complaints of chronic fatigue, and aches and pains, the doctor would do a few tests to rule out any serious disease presentation, and if there were none, the doctor would diagnose you with a psychosomatic disorder. Then the doctor would write a prescription for an inert pill or tablet (placebo) to take for the pain. If the pain was relieved by the placebo, the medical professional would then assume that your illness is mental, rather than physical. Sadly, this mentality still exists with some professionals in the medical field. It is no wonder that our friends and family look at us like we are crazy, when there are still a small percentage of doctors that look at us that way.

There has been lots of research on chronic fatigue syndrome, but it is still not well understood. There are so many symptoms of chronic fatigue symptoms, and the symptoms may not be the same every day. Today you might be hurting in your legs, back and shoulders, and tomorrow you might hurt more in your neck, inside your ear, and have terrible pain if someone touches your skin.

Men, women, and children from age 5 and up from all ethnic, racial and socioeconomic groups can develop chronic fatigue syndrome. Though, it is most commonly seen in women from ages 20 to 50. If you have difficulty getting out of bed due to feeling exhausted most of the time, and you have unexplained aches and pains you could have chronic fatigue syndrome. Sometimes when people get a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome, they feel so much better that someone actually put a name to their misery. It is difficult feeling all alone, when no one believes you. Having the diagnosis is enough to help alleviate some of the depression symptoms that go with this disorder.

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