People with M.E. can vary enormously in their experience of the illness, and also
how long their symptoms last. Many people make good progress quite quickly,
while others can remain ill for a number of years.
For many, the illness fluctuates, with periods of remission and relapse. A small minority are severely affected (bedbound or housebound) for a long time.
Most people improve over time, especially with treatment.
People often find that they don’t go back completely to the way they felt before they became ill - but they do recover sufficiently and/or learn to manage their symptoms well enough to lead happy and fulfilling lives. This is similar to many other chronic illnesses.
Hold on to hope, but be prepared in case the illness does last a long time.
Read past articles about recovery in our InterAction archive.
