Please find information below on some of the key sections of the site.

NEWS, RESEARCH UPDATES, USEFUL LINKS...

The site aims to bring you the latest news and research updates from around the world, as well as links to other helpful sources of information. The intention is to make information more accessible to sufferers. Inevitably, opinions will vary, and however hard you try you will never please everyone, but we have tried hard to make sure that the information is of a very high standard, balanced, and fully-referenced, so that fellow sufferers can make up their own minds.

SHOP

Why is there a shop on the site? Well, it was felt that as some M.E./CFS sufferers can benefit from health supplements (as part of a complementary approach to managing the condition, which is recognised as being of potential use by many leading support organisations), that it would be worthwhile to offer these products to those who may be interested at more affordable prices. What's more, as many sufferers are bed or housebound, it makes them more accessible, through mail order.

Furthermore, it was also felt that it was better that such a service be offered within the M.E. community for two reasons: (1) Firstly, it would enable sufferers to help keep funds within the M.E. community, rather than going to outside organisations who have no direct interest in M.E. sufferers' well-being - the site is run by a single recovering M.E. sufferer and guarantees to donate at the very least 10-25% of any profit to help fund M.E. research. (2) Secondly, as it was felt that it was preferable that these goods be marketed in an ethical, more neutral and responsible manner, where any claims are substantiated, so that individuals can make up their own minds. This is a hype-free zone. There are unfortunately no 'magic bullets' for the illness, but nonetheless studies have shown that a certain number of people may benefit from certain nutritional products. However, as the illness is so varied, people are inevitably different and what helps one person may have no effect another. Any product that is highlighted of possible specific use for M.E./CFS, rather than general health, will be backed up by clinical trials so that they are substantiated. We adhere to a strong code of ethics and only supply products that we genuinely feel may be of benefit to sufferers. Consequently, we aim to merely supply you with information, through for instance research articles from respected journals, so that you can make an informed choice yourself. (However, as with any form of food supplementation, it is worth noting that there is inevitably a small minority of sufferers who maybe sensitive to nutritional supplements of one sort or another; and that a particular supplement that works well for one person, may produce a different result for someone-else).

Considerable savings can be made, with some reduced by up to more than 50%. Numerous respected, and high quality brands are available, including, BioCare, Efamol, ENADA, Higher Nature, Lamberts, Pharma Nord, as well as many others. In addition, a wide-range of helpful M.E. related books are available at reduced prices. For most of the products in stock, goods are rapidly despatched to you, with the majority of orders generally being sent out first class within 24-48 hours of receipt of order (during working hours). Please note that books temporarily out of stock may take around 2-3 weeks to deliver.

We subscribe to the HONcode principles of the Health On the Net Foundation

Donations: In keeping with our mission to raise vital funds for finding a cure for the condition, we are dedicated to donating at least a minimum of 10-25% of any profit generated to ME/CFS Research. As the Web site expands, we hope to be in a position to donate an increasing percentage of funds to this end.

Security: Credit cards can be used without any worry, as the site is 100% secure, using the latest encryption and Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology. However, due to the way in which the shop part of the site is constructed (using frames) the familiar padlock symbol is not visible, but does not differ in any way.

Guide to Shopping: To shop online, just click on the shop tab on the banner at the top of most pages; or use the drop-down menus at the bottom of the home page. To locate a product either click on the section you are interested in, e.g. multivitamins...; or click on the "search" button within the shop and type in the information you are looking for. If you want to buy a product, simply click the button beside the product and it will add it to your 'shopping basket' - you can then either carry on shopping or proceed to the checkout and enter the necessary information.

CHAT

A key element of the site is the online chat section. This section is under development and will be completed very shortly. It is hoped that this will help create a virtual community, enabling ME/CFS sufferers who are more isolated to make contact with other sufferers and act as a forum for passing on helpful information. It is envisaged that the Chat Room/Message Boards will allow people to share their experiences and any factors that have assisted their recovery.

Users will be able to post messages in a wide-variety of conference rooms each representing different topics of interest. These 'conference rooms' have a search facility so that users can easily locate previous postings that they might like to view. For instance, someone wishing to find out about factors that have helped other people and recovery stories, would click the "search" button and enter "recovery" or words to that effect. There is also a 'Live Chat Room' where sufferers can talk with others in real-time. In order to use this facility, click on the "chat" button within the Chat section of the site and wait for the software to load (when competed the grey box will disappear). However, as the site only just been launched, please be patient as it may take time for there to be sufficient users to take part in live chat discussions.

SUPPORT

This section of the site, which is still under development, contains information on Support Group organisations around the country. Other useful names and addresses can be found in the "useful info" part of the ME/CFS Guide section.

ME/CFS GUIDE

This section's aim is to provide sufferers with information so that they can enhance their understanding and management of the condition. The material has been composed from an extensive research of the latest literature on the condition (from medical articles and textbooks to general support books) and its quality has been very positively received by leading medical experts on the condition. In order to make the material in this section easier to read, the guide has been broken down into a series of categories and common questions on the subject. We have tried to strike a balance between being academically accurate, whilst, at the same time, making it easy to read and accessible to most people. We have also attempted to make it as balanced and neutral as possible, taking into account different points of view, but inevitably due to the nature of the condition and individual circumstances, opinion will vary on certain areas. No specific viewpoint is taken as it was felt that sufferers should use the information to make up their own minds in relation to their unique experiences. When using it, just click on the questions or categories in the neighbouring panel to be taken to the appropriate page.

NEWSLETTER

This section of the site, which is still under development, aims to provide an online newsletter for sufferers. Users can also subscribe to receive FREE E-MAIL Bulletins with information on the latest ME/CFS research updates, other ME/CFS news; as well as information on special offers and additional discounts throughout the year.

LIBRARY

The Library section aims to bring you a wealth of the latest research articles/abstracts on the condition. These articles represent a random selection of the research being undertaken into the illness. They have been provided to enable sufferers to better understand their illness and how research into the condition is progressing. To view an article of interest simply click on the "view article" button and you will be taken to a page displaying the article. As the site progresses, we aim to expand the number of articles available, as well as group them into sections so that they are more accessible and user-friendly.

INFORMATION SHARING FORUM

This section, which is still under development, has been created specifically as a means of facilitating and encouraging the exchange of information. A particular emphasis will be placed on positive information. This is because it is felt that so often recovery stories are not aired, as many who get better tend to forget or be too busy to pass on information on what has helped them. Whilst recognising how debilitating and severe the illness can be for some sufferers, we want this section to help others pass on factors that have been helpful to them. In this way, it is hoped, sufferers can benefit through managing to avoid finding things out the hard way! Above all, we want to show others that there can be 'light at the end of the tunnel.'

Disclaimer: SupportME endeavours to provide the best possible service to its users, but cannot accept liability for any loss or damage caused by use of its service. The content is provided for general information only and should not be relied upon for any particular individual or purpose. It is important to always check the current validity of any information with a reliable professional source or with the supplier of the good or service listed. SupportME is not responsible for any diagnosis made by a user developed from the material of the Web site. SupportME is not liable for the contents of any external Web sites listed. The Web site does not recommend or endorse any particular commercial product; nor does any product claim to treat or cure a particular medical condition. Always consult your own GP if you have any worries regarding your health.