ME/CFS AWARENESS DAY

This Thursday, May 12th marks international ME/CFS Awareness Day, part of May's Awareness Month for those affected by Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.


The world in general, as well as certain sections of the medical profession would rather turn their faces away.


Those with these crippling neurological illnesses can't turn away, much as they long to.

It's time for the world to wake up and wise up.


Please, if you know anybody who suffers from these conditions, try to give them the support, compassion and understanding they need to stop this illness (whatever label it's been given in your country) being made even less bearable because of the attitude, disbelief and ignorance of others.


Are you aware of M.E.?


It can affect anybody, man, woman or child, rich or poor.

It can  change active, vibrant, productive lives forever.


It can cripple. 


It can kill, and has killed.


It could be you next, as there is nothing  you can do to prevent it, fight it or avoid it.


But that can, and must change.


Research into the physical cause of M.E. is essential, so one day the cure may be grasped.


Understanding and research is essential, so that damaging treatments like GET or  CBT administered as if this physical sickness were some psychological aberration or self-inflicted "syndrome," can be replaced with something more than vague notions of hit-and-miss palliative approaches. A real cure for a real disease is all we ask.

Think about it. Does CBT cure cancer, AIDS or tuberculosis? NO. It can help. But it isn't all that's on offer. So how would it get to the root of an equally organic disease like M.E. affecting every system of the human body, nerves, immune system, autonomic system, muscles and cognitive function?

Some charities are already fighting for funding and rigorous research to bring ME/CFS out of the closet and into the enlightened realm of modern medicine, where it should always have been.

In the USA there's the Whittemore Peterson Institute working in research into neuro-immune disease:


Whittemore Peterson Institute website


In the UK, there is, among others, MERUK - ME Research UK


ME Research UK

and Invest in ME:


Invest in ME


and the ME Association:


ME Association


An awareness leaflet you can download to help yourself and others begin to understand this illness can be found here:

ME Awareness Leaflet: What is ME? 

One day you or a loved one may no longer have the luxury of being able to see this illness ridiculed, misrepresented or ignored. It may have stolen overnight all that you take for granted now.


Now is the time to make a difference and give ME patients a glimmer of hope for the future and a reason right now to struggle through another agonising, draining moment, hour, day.

Please don't turn away.