Being tired all the time is not chronic fatigue syndrome.
A psychiatrist-written medical opinion — for veterans who genuinely meet the CFS criteria and need the diagnosis and connection properly documented.
What CFS Requires
A diagnosis of exclusion with a specific symptom cluster
Chronic fatigue syndrome is not simply persistent tiredness. It is a diagnosis of exclusion that requires ruling out other causes of fatigue and the presence of a specific cluster of symptoms — sustained for at least six months — that meaningfully restricts daily activity.
How CFS Connects
Pathways to service connection
- Secondary to service-connected PTSD, anxiety, or depression
- Presumptive for Gulf War / Southwest Asia theater veterans under 38 CFR 3.317
- Direct connection when symptoms onset in service and were documented
- Aggravation of pre-existing fatigue by a service-connected condition
How VA Rates CFS
Diagnostic Code 6354
CFS is rated at 10%, 20%, 40%, 60%, or 100% (there is no 30% or 50%), based on how much symptoms restrict daily activity or how many weeks of physician-prescribed incapacitation occur per year.
Considering a CFS claim — direct, secondary, or presumptive?
A psychiatrist who can tell CFS from psychiatric fatigue, and a former VA C&P examiner who knows the standard.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
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