ME/CFS is often mistaken as a form of depression, or people put it down to 'being tired' or stressed. But people with ME/CFS are not 'just tired', they're not necessarily depressed, and they're not 'just stressed'. ME/CFS is a very serious illness in it's own right. And it's very different to depression in many ways.

Please note: Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are believed to fall under the umbrella term 'ME/CFS'. To make it easier for you to read through this page, we will use the term 'ME/CFS' to refer to them collectively.

ME/CFS is an area that is misunderstood by many people, especially when it comes to how it relates to Depression. A ME/CFS sufferer can have depression as a ME/CFS symptom...

But!!!

Not all ME/CFS sufferers necessarily have depression.

So you can't just put ME/CFS down to being 'overworked' or 'feeling low'.

"I can vouch for this.

I had Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome quite badly for a number of years and did develop depression at first (as a symptom of PVFS ). Later down the line though, I no longer suffered from depression, yet I still had Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome.

Depression and ME/CFS / Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome are definitely not the same thing. They are not synonymous."

-- Claire, Sleepydust Editor --

If You Do Have Depression As A Symptom Of ME/CFS ...

Before we explore the differences betwen ME/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome , let's just clarify one thing:

It is extremely important for you to tackle depression as a ME/CFS symptom (if it is indeed present). If you suffer from depression as ME/CFS sufferer, then this alone, is a very serious and soul-destroying symptom to experience.

But in addition to this, depression makes it extremely hard for anyone to recover from a chronic illness. So it's very important to address your depression, if you do experience it.

Click here for more on dealing with depression...

Do YOU Know The Difference Between
Depression & ME/CFS ?

Many onlookers identify depression as part of a sufferer's ME/CFS symptoms and so automatically assume that the other ME/CFS symptoms are 'all in the sufferer's mind'. They assume that they are suffering from depression, and that all they need to do is 'pull themselves together'.

This assumption couldn't be more wrong.

For one, if a sufferer does experience depression as a ME/CFS symptom, it does not explain the sufferer's various other ME/CFS symptoms, which are not present in Depression sufferers.

The many other ME/CFS symptoms can be extremely severe, and debilitating. And make no mistake, these ME/CFS symptoms are VERY real.

Click here for ME / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome symptoms ...

And for proof that shows that ME/CFS is a real, physical illness, click here...

In fact, there is a big difference between a person suffering from Depression (without ME/CFS ) and a person suffering from ME/CFS. For one, people with Depression have enlarged adrenal glands. In contrast, ME/CFS sufferers often have small, exhausted adrenal glands.

In general, people with depression also feel better after exercise, whereas ME/CFS sufferers usually feel worse.

"Singe photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) signal abnormalities also are found more often in [CFS] patients, abnormalities like those seen in patients with encephalopathy due to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and unlike the findings in patients with depression.

Autonomic nervous system testing has revealed abnormalities of the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems that are not explained by depression or physical deconditioning. Studies of hypothalamic and pituitary function have revealed neuroendocrine abnormalities not seen in healthy control subjects and opposite to those found in depression.

There is considerable evidence from different investigators, using different technologies and studying different groups of patients, of a state of chronic immune activation.

In summary, there is now considerable evidence of an underlying biological process in most patients (which) is inconsistent with the hypothesis that (the syndrome) involves symptoms that are only imagined or amplified because of underlying psyciatric distress. It is time to put that hypothethis to rest."

-- Anthony L Komaroff, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Havard and world expert on ME/CFS, The Biology of the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome [ref 12]--