It’ so hard to explain when you’ve not experienced it yourself, the debilitating fatigue that I often feel.
It’s not the same as being tired after working a long day. Even though that’s probably the only thing you can compare it to. And I’m happy for you, that you can not relate. But it is important for me that you try to understand what I’m going through.
Party time!
When I wake up, I am exhausted. As if I haven’t slept at all. You can compare it to going out partying all night, not sleeping and going to work right after. You feel like you can crash any moment due to lack of sleep, and maybe a hangover.

Well I feel like that, but without the partying and without the alcohol. I do sometimes have the hangover feeling though, as a bonus.
All day long I feel like I need a nap, the exhaustion is making me nauseous. I used to think it’s normal to feel nauseous when you’re tired. Recently I found out that’s not the case.
Got the flu
Imagine how you feel when you are sick. You have the flu or some other type of virus. You can’t think straight, forget everything, and just want to lay down. Not necessarily to sleep, just lay down cause you are so tired. Because your body needs it to fight of this virus.

You have no apetite, or a simply too tired to eat. Now you even have less energy, cause you have not eaten in days.
That’s me all day every day. My body is fighting itself, cause I have several autoimmune diseases. Naps are a part of daily life for me. There are many days that I’m too tired to eat, or too nauseaus to eat. Or too tired to prepare a meal. Bags of chips are my best friend. Not the healthiest but it helps.
Put yourself in my shoes
I know it’s a long shot, but hopefully these comparisons help you understand what it is to live in my body.
Please be patient with your chronically ill friends and family. They feel like they have the flu while hungover from an all nighter, all the time.