Well this isn't meant as a sympathy ploy, but merely to raise awareness. I just stumbled upon this very interesting (and, in an odd kind of way, encouraging) study.

Link: <a href="http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1471-2458-11-402.pdf" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">The functional status and well being of people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and their carers</a>

It's good that they're looking into the impact of CFS as it's the most sure-fire way towards garnering better recognition, support and research into the illness.

Anyhow, the recent peer-reviewed BMC Public Health study concludes:

<div class=quote><b>ME/CFS is disabling and has a greater impact on functional status and well being than other chronic diseases such as cancer.
</b></div>
They also compare with several other diseases here (a lower score means a higher impact):

<img src="http://i.imgur.com/74Fwd.png" border="0">

Additionally a couple of other diseases for comparison (perhaps I'll add to the list when I come across them in the future):

<img src="http://i.imgur.com/UG3H6.png" border="0">

Sources
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1-http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18236703
2-http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19957633
3-http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21302522
4-http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20032098
5-http://www.hqlo.com/content/8/1/143
6-http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18971914
*-SF-12
------------------------------------------------------------------------

So there you go, it's not all in your head! <img src="images/smilies/wink.gif" border=0 />

Cheers,

B.
<em>edited by Barbarian on 5/28/2011</em>