Chronic Fatigue in Adults: Causes, Symptoms, and Solutions
While all of us have experienced tiredness or fatigue at some point in our lives, chronic fatigue is a more persistent sense of depletion that affects energy and mood. Chronic fatigue also doesn’t seem to let up – even after getting a full night of sleep.
For many of us, chronic fatigue happens gradually, seeping into our daily lives until it begins to interfere with work, relationships, and self-care. We might find ourselves pushing through each day on autopilot, wondering why our body feels heavy, our mind foggy, or our motivation missing. This kind of fatigue isn’t simply about low energy – it’s often a reflection of how stress, emotional strain, and physical health intersect.
It’s important to understand chronic fatigue syndrome and its effects. A mental health professional can help you get to the root of the problem and figure out an effective solution for your needs. This page can also work as a useful guide for understanding chronic fatigue syndrome, as it covers:
- What chronic fatigue is and its common symptoms
- Some causes of chronic fatigue
- Ways of coping with chronic fatigue
- Answers to commonly asked questions about chronic fatigue
Understanding Chronic Fatigue in Adults
Chronic fatigue can be a serious and long-lasting condition that impacts everything we do. It’s not simply just “being tired.” It could be a feeling of waking up after a full eight hours of sleep with energy levels like we’ve run a marathon. Or maybe finding ourselves staring at our to-do list without being able to muster up the will to even start.
Chronic fatigue is different from the usual tiredness of daily life. It tends to linger for weeks or months, often without a clear reason. It also potentially affects about two million people in the U.S.1 Medical professionals might diagnose this type of fatigue as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).2
While experts don’t fully understand the exact causes of ME/CFS, some people have an underlying medical condition like thyroid issues, anemia, or chronic pain. Others find their fatigue is tied to stress, anxiety, depression, or emotional burnout. With the latter conditions, even when the body checks out as “healthy,” the nervous system can stay stuck in overdrive – constantly pushing, performing, and never really resting.
Common Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue
Chronic fatigue isn’t always about how much we’re doing. Sometimes even the smallest tasks can leave us feeling drained. Therefore, if you have chronic fatigue syndrome, some of the symptoms you might experience are:
- A deep tiredness that leaves you feeling drained, even after sleeping or resting
- A difficulty concentrating, remembering details, or staying organized
- Problems sleeping, such as difficulty falling or staying asleep, despite being exhausted. Alternatively, you may wake up feeling unrested even after a full night’s rest
- Pain, aching, or heaviness in the muscles or joints that leave you feeling like your body is working harder than it should
- Headaches or dizziness, especially after longer periods of intense focus or after standing or moving quickly
- Changes in mood that happen with fatigue, such as feeling irritable, easily agitated, or anxious
Over time, these symptoms can start to blur together, making it difficult to tell where physical exhaustion ends and emotional depletion begins. You might even push yourself to keep going, only to find your body pushing back harder each time.
Possible Causes of Fatigue in Adults
Chronic fatigue doesn’t just affect our bodies; it impacts how we think, feel, and act. It can be a way of our body telling us that something is wrong and needs attention. We may also not be aware of what could be causing the fatigue.
The causes of fatigue in adults can differ from person to person, but here are some factors that could influence this constant exhaustion:
Biological and Medical Factors
- Chronic illnesses, such as thyroid disorders, autoimmune diseases, and anemia, as these can cause constant fatigue that doesn’t resolve with rest3
- Not having enough nutrients, like iron4 or vitamin D, as well as changes in hormones like cortisol or estrogen, as depletion of these can influence energy levels
- Sleep apnea and other sleep disorders, which typically cause interrupted or poor-quality sleep. These are some of the strongest examples of the sleep and fatigue connection, often leaving people feeling foggy and unrested5
Mental Health Factors
Mental health and fatigue often go hand in hand, with our moods affecting how energized we feel, while at the same time, our energy levels impact our moods. Our minds and bodies are constantly communicating, and when our emotions go unresolved, our bodies tend to carry this weight.
The following are some of the mental health conditions that might contribute to chronic fatigue:
- Long-term stress and anxiety: Extended periods of stress and anxiety can leave our nervous systems stuck in “fight-or-flight mode.” This constant stress often leads to muscle tension, headaches, and other physical symptoms of stress
- Trauma or grief: Emotional pain or trauma that we haven’t processed or dealt with can manifest as exhaustion or even chronic pain, impacting the body’s natural ability to rest and regulate6
- Depression: Depression and fatigue can cause a cycle where our low mood drains our motivation. Plus, this low energy typically also makes it hard to want to do the things that boost our moods.
- Perfectionism or overachievement: Perfectionism and chronic fatigue can feed off each other, as many people who experience chronic fatigue also report an internal pressure to perform, succeed, or care for others without a break.7 This drive can push the body past its limits, often leading to emotional collapse disguised as fatigue
Lifestyle and Environmental Factors
Modern life can unintentionally amplify exhaustion. For instance, the constant noise, pace, and pressure to stay “on” may make it easy to ignore what your body truly needs.
Lifestyle and environmental factors that could lead to fatigue include:12
- Irregular sleep schedules: Inconsistent sleep routines can confuse your circadian rhythm and undermine the sleep and fatigue connection, leaving you sluggish even after a full night’s rest
- Poor diet or dehydration: Insufficient nutrition and hydration can lead to blood sugar crashes or mineral deficiencies that mimic or worsen fatigue
- Lack of physical activity, or overtraining: Both extremes can exhaust the body, either by depriving it of movement or by overloading it without enough recovery
- Work burnout or caregiving stress: Taking on too much responsibility for too long, especially without support, is one of the most common contributors to stress-related fatigue
While the causes of fatigue can vary widely, they often share one theme: imbalance. Fatigue tends to emerge when the body and mind are giving more than they’re receiving – when we’re chronically putting off rest, nutrition, or emotional release in favor of productivity or responsibility. Understanding these factors isn’t about blame; it’s about awareness.
Chronic Fatigue Treatment Options
Recovering from chronic fatigue is about learning how to rest in ways that are truly restorative rather than finding “quick fixes” or “pushing through.” Treatment can take time and often means addressing the combination of emotional, physical, and behavioral factors that contribute to the exhaustion. It may also involve developing healthier ways to manage your stress and energy.
Below are several evidence-based approaches that can support recovery and renewal.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Fatigue
CBT helps identify unhelpful thought patterns that fuel exhaustion, such as perfectionism, guilt about resting, or the belief that slowing down means failure. By challenging these thoughts and replacing them with more balanced perspectives, CBT allows us to reframe how we relate to energy, effort, and productivity.8
Therapists often use CBT to help people set realistic goals, manage stress triggers, and create structured sleep and activity schedules that support gradual improvement. Over time, this approach can help restore confidence and a sense of control over your energy levels.
Mind–Body Approaches
Mind–body practices like mindfulness, meditation, breathwork, and gentle yoga can help regulate the nervous system, reduce muscle tension, and calm the stress response that contributes to fatigue.9 These techniques increase awareness of physical sensations and encourage rest without guilt – a key shift for people accustomed to constant productivity.
Behavioral Activation Techniques
For many people, managing fatigue means learning how to use energy strategically rather than reactively. Behavioral activation focuses on gentle, consistent engagement with meaningful activities, even when motivation feels low.10
Energy management techniques, like pacing, alternating activity with rest, and setting boundaries, can help prevent the “crash and burn” cycle that often follows overexertion. Building small, sustainable routines teaches your body and mind that balance is more restorative than all-or-nothing effort.
Emotional Regulation and Self-Compassion
Learning to regulate your emotions can help interrupt the stress cycle that feeds chronic fatigue. Grounding exercises, deep breathing, journaling, and compassion-based mindfulness can all reduce physical tension and promote a sense of calm.
Over time, self-compassion replaces self-criticism, shifting your internal dialogue from I should be doing more to I’m allowed to rest. This mindset change is often where true healing begins.
Recovering from chronic fatigue takes patience and trust in small progress. The goal isn’t to return to a previous level of productivity – it’s to create a new rhythm that sustains both your body and mind. Healing begins by listening to what fatigue is trying to communicate and honoring your need for restoration, rather than resisting it.
Mission Connection: Integrated Treatment for Chronic Fatigue
Living with chronic fatigue can be a very real struggle. Our bodies are telling us to “slow down,” while our minds are trying to keep up. At Mission Connection, we know that this kind of exhaustion isn’t weakness – it’s your body’s way of asking for balance.
Our approach to treatment focuses on combining evidence-based techniques (like CBT or DBT) with mind-body awareness through practices like mindfulness. These approaches teach you how to pace yourself, rest without guilt, and reconnect with what truly restores you.
If fatigue has been holding you back, you don’t have to face it alone. Contact Mission Connection today to learn how our clinicians can help you restore energy, rebuild balance, and feel like yourself again.
FAQs About Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
1. Is There a Test for Chronic Fatigue?
There is no diagnostic test for chronic fatigue. However, recently, there has been a study that has demonstrated that a blood test can show a 96% accuracy in identifying ME/CFS.11 Basically, this blood test has shown specific patterns in the DNA of people with ME/CFS.2. How Is Chronic Fatigue Diagnosed?
There is no specific test to diagnose chronic fatigue. Instead, it’s typically diagnosed by ruling out other possible causes of your symptoms through a thorough evaluation by a medical professional. For instance, your doctor may ask you about your symptoms and how long you’ve had them. You can only be diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome if the symptoms have lasted for six months or more.3. Is Chronic Fatigue a Physical or Mental Health Issue?
Chronic fatigue is often both a physical and mental issue. Fatigue can happen because of medical conditions like thyroid issues or anemia, but also emotional factors like trauma and burnout. Because the mind and body are deeply connected, what affects our physical health can also impact our mental well-being, and vice versa.4. How Does Mission Connection Support Adults Living With Chronic Fatigue?
We focus on the root causes of your fatigue, whether that’s emotional, physical, or both. Using evidence-based approaches like CBT, mindfulness, and behavioral strategies for fatigue, our clinicians can help you manage stress, improve rest, and find balance.References
- Sapra, A., & Bhandari, P. (2023, June 21). Chronic fatigue syndrome. StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557676/
- Johns Hopkins Medicine. (n.d.). Chronic fatigue syndrome. Retrieved [October 17th, 2025], from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/chronic-fatigue-syndrome
- Grixti, L., Fisher, H., Priestley, J., McMullan, C., Woollven, A., Perros, P., Mitchell, A. L., Gan, E. H., & Pearce, S. H. (2025). Prevalence and severity of fatigue in treated hypothyroidism: results of a UK survey. European Thyroid Journal, 14(3). https://doi.org/10.1530/etj-25-0044
- Yokoi, K., & Konomi, A. (2017). Iron deficiency without anaemia is a potential cause of fatigue: meta-analyses of randomised controlled trials and cross-sectional studies. British Journal of Nutrition, 117(10), 1422–1431. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0007114517001349
- Chotinaiwattarakul, W., O’Brien, L. M., Fan, L., & Chervin, R. D. (2009). Fatigue, tiredness, and lack of energy improve with treatment for OSA. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 5(3), 222–227. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.27469
- Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (US). (2014). Understanding the impact of trauma (in Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services, TIP Series No. 57). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK207191/
- Dittner, A. J., Rimes, K., & Thorpe, S. (2010). Negative perfectionism increases the risk of fatigue following a period of stress. Psychology and Health, 26(3), 253–268. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870440903225892
- Adamson, J., Ali, S., Santhouse, A., Wessely, S., & Chalder, T. (2020). Cognitive behavioural therapy for chronic fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome: outcomes from a specialist clinic in the UK. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 113(10), 394–402. https://doi.org/10.1177/0141076820951545
- Sezer, I., & Sacchet, M. D. (2025). Advanced and long-term meditation and the autonomic nervous system: A review and synthesis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 106141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106141
- Mazzucchelli, T. G., Kane, R. T., & Rees, C. S. (2010). Behavioral activation interventions for well-being: A meta-analysis. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 5(2), 105–121. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760903569154
- Hunter, E., Alshaker, H., Bundock, O., Weston, C., Bautista, S., Gebregzabhar, A., Virdi, A., Croxford, J., Dring, A., Powell, R., Vugrinec, D., Kingdon, C., Wilson, C., Dowrick, S., Green, J., Akoulitchev, A., & Pchejetski, D. (2025). Development and validation of blood-based diagnostic biomarkers for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) using EpiSwitch. PubMed, 23(1), 1048. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-025-07203-w
- NHS. (n.d.). Tiredness and fatigue. Retrieved [17th October, 2025], from https://www.nhs.uk/symptoms/tiredness-and-fatigue/