Q I am a 23-year-old woman and have been experiencing persistent fatigue and muscular aches for a few months. It persists even after rest. I often have disturbed sleep, along with night sweats.

My brain tends to "fog" and I often have trouble with concentration and memory. After work, I tend to collapse on my bed and am left with little energy to do anything else. I am depressed as I feel like it is a never-ending cycle of fatigue.

I am also worried because my late sister had systemic lupus erythematous.

I have seen a few general practitioners but have received only medication that tackled the symptoms.

I would like to know where I should go for an in-depth analysis so I can find out if this is a sign of chronic fatigue syndrome or something else altogether.

A Your symptoms seem to revolve around persistent fatigue that will not go away despite rest, and this affects your physical (muscular aches), mental (poor concentration and memory), physiological (night sweats) as well as emotional well-being (feelings of depression).

Everyone experiences stressful life events. Some are able to manage these experiences using their own resources but others find them overwhelming and will need professional help.

This is especially so if the symptoms last for more than six months. The six common anxiety disorders are: generalised anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, social anxiety disorder and specific phobias.

In general, feelings of anxiety constitute a disorder when the resultant symptoms occur over a prolonged period of time and interfere with one's ability to lead the kind of life one would like.

You mentioned that your symptoms have persisted for a few months. What has been different about those few months compared to the past? What are some things that may have contributed to your stress and anxiety levels in that period? It is difficult to offer an accurate diagnosis of your condition based on limited information.

You should consult a professional for a more in-depth examination. Your worries about systemic lupus erythematosus, a condition which seems to run in families, can also be checked out then, though it is generally difficult to make a diagnosis because its symptoms vary widely.

Dr Lim Yun Chin

Dr Lim Yun Chin is a specialist in psychiatry and managing partner of Raffles Counselling Centre

This article was first published in Mind Your Body, The Straits Times.