"I brush my teeth - I rest, I eat - I lie down again. When meeting friends, I set a timer: 20 minutes. Because I can't do anything more," said the patient in an interview with DW.
In Germany, more than 600 thousand people today live with chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS - myalgic encephalomyelitis, i.e., chronic fatigue syndrome). This was reported by the German company ME/CFS.
Patients with chronic fatigue syndrome feel exhausted even after rest. Patients experience sleep disturbances, inability to concentrate, and circulatory problems. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified this disease as a neurological disease since 1969.
Before the pandemic, this syndrome was observed in 17 million people worldwide, and in Germany - in 250 thousand people. After the COVID-19 pandemic, this figure almost doubled:
By 2023, 620 thousand patients were registered in Germany. Experts note that this disease occurs three times more often in women than in men.
Larisa, living with illness, says that she calls every day a "battle" - and in these battles, she constantly loses.
"I don't feel anything. I just lie down. "I can't afford anything else," he said.
To date, there is no specific treatment method for the causes of ME/CFS syndrome. Treatment is aimed only at alleviating symptoms: this can be pain, insomnia, circulatory disorders, or anxiety.
