CFS is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It is a medical condition that causes long-term physical and mental fatigue. It also causes a variety of other symptoms.

CFS is difficult for doctors to diagnose because it is similar to other conditions. For some information about this, see: What other conditions are like CFS ?

The causes of CFS are not known, and there is no cure. Some sufferers do recover. Others can improve and lead a more normal life if they learn to understand their condition and find ways to manage their symptoms.

There are other terms for CFS that all mean the same thing. They include:

• ME
• Post-viral fatigue syndrome
• Neuraesthenia

It is not the purpose of this web site to give you comprehensive information about CFS. There are other web sites for that. For example, the United Kingdom charity Action for M.E. can provide you with a lot of good information.

CFS is a complex condition that no one understands very well. It seems to affect the working of the brain and nervous system. So it often has psychological effects. For example, it can be associated with:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Poor concentration
• Difficulty with words
• Confusion

These psychological effects can be addressed by CBT. So CBT can often be very helpful to CFS sufferers. For more information about how CBT can help, see: How can CBT help?