What is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)?

The condition, which is also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), is a debilitating illness whose cause remains unknown. It’s a relapsing-remitting disease that can impact individuals differently and affect their daily functioning, work and home life.

The most common symptoms are extreme tiredness, which often makes it difficult to think or concentrate, and memory problems, called brain fog. Many people with ME/CFS have trouble working or need to limit their social activities. Those who are most severely affected may be housebound or bedbound, needing around-the-clock care.

Fatigue is a symptom of many illnesses, so it can be hard to get a diagnosis. There’s no specific test for ME and many people with the condition have been misdiagnosed or told they’re imagining their symptoms. As a result, up to 90 percent of ME/CFS patients have not been properly diagnosed.

Currently, there’s no cure for ME/CFS, but doctors can help with managing the illness by prescribing medicines to treat symptoms like pain and sleep problems. They can also teach people how to conserve their energy and take it easy in order to avoid overtaxing themselves.

Research continues to explore what causes ME/CFS, including whether it’s an underlying health problem or a psychiatric disorder. Genetics, infections, and immune system problems may be involved. Researchers are currently trying to find out what’s behind ME/CFS by examining samples of thousands of people’s DNA as part of the DecodeME project.

ME/CFS is sometimes triggered by an infection, such as the coronavirus pandemic or flu. But it’s a relapsing-remitting illness, and the effects can last for months.

As such, it’s important to be able to recognize symptoms and seek treatment as soon as possible.

The CDC recommends that patients see their doctor or nurse if they’re experiencing ME/CFS symptoms. They’ll ask about the person’s medical history and their symptoms. Then they’ll recommend treatment based on what the person reports.

In the US, a patient’s doctor may refer them to an ME/CFS specialist. Specialists can provide ongoing treatment and support and coordinate other care providers. They can also help educate and train other healthcare professionals about the condition.

Many people with ME/CFS have one or more additional diseases (comorbidities). These include fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, gastroparesis, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS, increased heart rate when standing) and Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome (hyperextensibility disorder). Some also experience secondary depression or mast cell disorders. These comorbidities can make ME/CFS worse. That’s why it’s important for all healthcare providers to know about the conditions and how to spot them.

The Different Types of Love

If you ask most people to define love, they probably can’t agree on one definitive definition. But there’s a general understanding that it includes a deep affection and attachment to someone else, and that it often includes a desire to protect and support that person even when they do things you don’t like. Love is the force that keeps us going through tough times, and it’s also what gives meaning to our lives and makes them worthwhile.

Many different types of love exist, from familial love (the love you have for your parents, siblings, children, or spouse) to platonic love (the kind you have for friends). Love can also be a feeling that comes from being infatuated with someone, which may be triggered by a rise in the brain chemical serotonin and the hormone and neurotransmitter oxytocin during romantic interactions. In addition to a sense of attachment and bonding, this kind of love can also lead to a desire to spend more time with the person, and even daydreaming about them.

While these types of love can be very real and powerful, they’re usually not what most people think of when they talk about “love.” Most people tend to think about the love they have for a specific person, whether it’s their significant other, best friend, or pet. This type of love often comes with a sense of trust and security, which helps create a strong bond that allows people to openly communicate their feelings without fear of rejection or betrayal.

Even though this form of love can be difficult at times, it’s important to remember that it’s a healthy way to relate to others and can lead to long-term stability. This kind of love can also be beneficial from an evolutionary standpoint, since it helps promote pair bonding and parental investment in offspring.

Another key aspect of this type of love is its permanence, which means that it doesn’t fade over time. In fact, it often strengthens and deepens as the two people get to know each other better and build a foundation of trust and security. This type of love is based on mutual respect, vulnerability, and a desire to celebrate each other for who they are.

When writing a story, it’s important to consider what kind of love you want your characters to exhibit. If you’re just relying on a feeling to portray a character’s love, it’s likely that your audience will lose interest in the story quickly. Instead, try to focus on the actions your characters take and how they treat each other. This will help your readers connect with your characters and truly feel the depth of their relationship. If possible, use vivid descriptions to convey these emotions and bring them into the story so they can experience it firsthand. For example, describe the way your character looks at their loved one or how they hold their hand. The more your readers feel the intensity of your characters’ emotions, the more they’ll be invested in your story.

The Concept of Need

The word need describes the desire for something essential, which can include things like food, water, and shelter. It can also describe the desire for a sense of belonging or self-worth. The concept of need is central to a number of academic fields, including psychology, sociology, and educational psychology. The academic study of need reached its zenith in the 1950s, but it still receives attention today.

The most widely known psychological theory of need focuses on the idea that people have a hierarchy of needs, from the physiological or lower-order needs of food, water and safety through to higher-order social or growth needs such as belonging, esteem and self-actualization. This theory was developed by psychologist Abraham Maslow in 1943 and remains one of the most influential models of human motivation.

However, defining what exactly constitutes a need can be challenging. In part, this is because the details of how a person meets his or her needs can vary across different contexts. Furthermore, the definition of a need is often culturally specific. For example, some cultures may place a greater emphasis on the need to belong than others.

Moreover, it is possible for the concept of need to be used as an economic tool to measure the well-being of a country or region. Using the needs model, economists can compare the relative income of individuals in different countries and regions. In this way, they can estimate the degree to which a nation or region is underdeveloped in terms of its ability to provide its citizens with essential goods and services.

In addition to the need to belong, there is a growing body of evidence that shows the importance of the need for autonomy in human motivation and well-being. For example, studies show that children who feel a strong need for autonomy in their schools have better school outcomes than those who do not. In addition, the need for autonomy is a predictor of lifelong mental health.

Another academic field that has studied the need for belonging is social exchange theory, which explains that human beings have an innate desire to affiliate with other members of their species. This need for affiliation is thought to have evolved in order to make culture possible, so that humans could survive and reproduce more successfully.

In English, there are three articles – definite, indefinite, and zero. The definite article the is used when you and your reader or listener both know about the noun that you are referring to. For example, you would use the article the when referring to a meeting that both you and the other person are attending this afternoon. Generally, you should only use the definite article when the noun is already familiar to you and your reader or listener. Otherwise, it might sound pompous and pretentious to write or speak in this fashion. There are some exceptions to this rule, though, and even native speakers of English sometimes disagree about when to use the definite article.