The only thing worse than a struggle with chronic fatigue is the struggle to get treatment – because many mainstream doctors still won’t acknowledge that the condition is real. And even those who do have no clue how to test for it or treat it. Now, the latest research shows why it’s so important for women in particular to get the help they deserve – because the damage of chronic fatigue goes far beyond the fatigue itself. Women with this condition are 12 times more likely to suffer pelvic pain unrelated to menstruation, more likely to have problems during menstruation, more likely to suffer bleeding between periods and more likely to miss their periods. They’re also more likely to use pharmaceutical hormones for reasons other than birth control, more likely to go through gynecological surgery such as a hysterectomy and more likely to suffer early menopause after surgery, according to the study in the journal Menopause. There are a number of causes of chronic fatigue, including infection. But in women, it’s often hormonal, as the new study strong suggests – yet many doctors don’t even test for hormones. They prescribe narcotics, antidepressants, and even ADHD drugs for chronic fatigue, but they don’t look in the most obvious place. If you've been getting nowhere in your own struggle with chronic fatigue, seek the advice of a holistic medical doctor experienced in natural hormone testing and treatments. I see good results treating women with these problems.