Chronic fatigue is a medical term for prolonged feelings of extreme tiredness. It can be related to treatment for other illnesses such as cancer, triggered by emotional distress or other mental health problems and it can remain mysterious in its origins. There is no magic treatment for chronic fatigue but there is good advice on how to combat its effects and avoid worsening the condition. Always consult your doctor if you feel you are unusually tired. This is especially important if your tiredness is not overcome when you do get a good stretch of uninterrupted sleep and you are not aware of any good reason for it (such as an already diagnosed serious illness). Doctors are sometimes unsympathetic. As with depression, and chronic fatigue can be a symptom of depression, you cannot just pull your socks up and snap out of it. Try regular exercise to help improve your sleep patterns. Ask for help with household tasks and shopping. Eat as healthily as you can and get help with cooking rather than live on snacks. Eating badly will lock you in a vicious circle as no one enjoys full energy levels on a poor diet. Do not go to work unless you feel fully fit or unless you feel work helps you. Rest at regular times and believe that you will get better. Unless you have a very serious underlying or life threatening disease you will get your energy back one day.