Tired all the time? Here’s what you should know

Nowadays many people complain of being tired and even exhausted. This problem is relatively common and can affect up to 30 percent of a population at any time. Fatigue itself is linked to many illnesses including chronic pain and cancer but it also happens when we work too much and do not take time to relax.
“The overall aim of this book is to provide you with information and strategies to help you to overcome your fatigue and the restrictions on your life that result from it,” explain the authors of ‘Overcoming Chronic Fatigue’, Mary Burgess and Trudie Chalder who are both specialized in the area of chronic fatigue.
Fatigue is not an easy concept to grasp because it means different things to different people. Some people describe their fatigue as similar to weakness or sleepiness and others as a total lack of energy or feeling completely drained. Fatigue is often a wake-up call meaning that one should stop work or work less.
The term chronic fatigue is fairly new, the illness itself was diagnosed more than a century ago and was known then as neurasthenia.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome can be described as a permanent fatigue accompanied by other symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, painful muscles and joints, poor concentration, memory and sleeping problems. Chronic fatigue syndrome affects almost three percent of people in the UK for example and it is a disease for which conventional medicine currently has no cure.
“Symptoms vary among individuals and may come and go… they are usually very debilitating and lead many sufferers to make radical changes to their lifestyles. The severity of the symptoms may leave people feeling so exhausted most of the day. Others may be able to go to work or manage their homes, but do little else.”
As with many other illnesses where there is no known single cause, it is difficult to detect chronic fatigue syndrome. Moreover, there is still not a test to identify chronic fatigue syndrome. A diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome is reached by taking a detailed account of the symptoms. Chronic fatigue syndrome seems to be more common in women than men and it is likely to be caused by an infection, a busy lifestyle or a series of stressful events. Going to bed and getting up at irregular times or resting too much during the day can also cause a disturbed pattern of sleep.
This practical self-help guide offers a strategy based on cognitive behavioral techniques. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing not only patterns of behavior but also the patterns of thought that keep them going. CBT has been found to be valuable and effective in treating many illnesses such as diabetes, depression, eating disorders and chronic fatigue. However, many people who could benefit from the approach do not have access to principles of cognitive behavior therapy.
People with chronic fatigue syndrome suffer from sleeping problems. They take a long time to go to sleep at night, they also wake up frequently during the night, and they either get up too early or sleep too much.
To improve your sleep it is important to establish a routine by getting up at the same time each day, by not taking a nap during the day even if you feel tired and finally by not going to bed too early.
It is also important to associate your room with sleep so do not read, study, watch television, or sort out the day’s problems in bed, as these are waking activities.
Furthermore, people who work too much during the day make it up in the evenings and during weekends by resting and oversleeping. The key to improve your health is to make your life more balanced and make time for relaxation. Taking breaks can help you feel a lot better and give you the extra energy you will need to do the things that you are planning to do in the evenings and at weekends.
It is also important to remember that unhelpful thoughts and beliefs can hamper your progress. People with chronic fatigue syndrome have fears about their health and tend to have extremely high personal standards and expectations. As a result, they tend to be over-critical, they feel guilty, and are always worrying.
The way to deal with this negative attitude is first to be aware of the nature of unhelpful thoughts and then to replace them with thoughts that are optimistic and make you feel good. Challenging unhelpful thoughts can be difficult at first but you must keep on looking for a more positive alternative.
One should point out that the techniques explained in this book are time-consuming. The strategy set up by the authors involves a lot of self-examinations during which you need to record the details of your daily activities. The most tedious part of the program concerns the evaluation of unhelpful thoughts. This process gives you the opportunity to look back at some of your negative thoughts and to find out that each different thought is likely to lead to a different feeling or emotion if you make a conscious effort to think positively. These mental exercises do require a lot of efforts but if you persevere and keep on doing these exercises seriously, you can overcome chronic fatigue syndrome. And remember that small step-by-step achievements are the key to success.
After working through this book, you will finally be able to do more and need less rest. As long as a good balance of activity and rest is maintained, then recovery from chronic fatigue syndrome can be sustained.

Source: Arab News