ME/CFS awareness is the reason Always Tired exists.

The Story Behind the Tired

Always Tired was never just a collection of exhausted characters.

The art came from somewhere real.

It was created by Frederik, a hardworking engineer who loved movement, sport, and being active. He ran. He played sports. Tennis was one of his favourites. He had a life built around energy, discipline, and showing up.

Then, in early 2020, Frederik was diagnosed with ME/CFS.

His world changed fast.

Within weeks, he lost his job. Not long after that, he lost the ability to keep playing tennis, running, or doing the things that had once made him feel like himself. The illness kept taking pieces of ordinary life away from him.

First, sports became too much.

Then going outside became too much.

Then even getting out of bed became a task.

Eventually, Frederik was able to get help and was placed somewhere he could receive care. During that time, he was put in a wheelchair. The last update shared from him was that things were still extremely difficult, with no clear path to healing, no cure, and no simple treatment for what he was living through.

That is the foundation Always Tired was built on.

ME/CFS awareness was never a trend added later. It was never just a theme or a marketing angle. It was always at the heart of the project because the exhaustion behind the art was real.

The original mission was supposed to be awareness, support, and donation.

That mission was not followed through the way it should have been.

Now the SleepyHeads are here to carry it forward properly, with transparency, care, and the community finally helping decide where this goes next.

ME/CFS is not ordinary tiredness.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a serious, chronic, complex illness that can affect the nervous system, immune system, autonomic system, sleep, cognition, and the body's ability to recover after exertion.

Common symptoms can include severe fatigue, reduced ability to function, unrefreshing sleep, cognitive difficulty often described as brain fog, dizziness or orthostatic intolerance, pain, sensory sensitivity, and post-exertional malaise.

For many people, the hardest part is not just the illness itself. It is being doubted, minimized, or told they are "just tired."

Always Tired NFTs cannot treat ME/CFS. A website cannot cure anyone. A community cannot replace doctors, research, or care. But a community can help keep the conversation visible.

We can share credible resources. We can support awareness. We can raise funds transparently. We can help more people understand that this illness is real, serious, and too often dismissed.

Always Tired NFTs is a community-led awareness project. We are not a medical organization, and this website does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Anyone dealing with symptoms should speak with a qualified healthcare professional.

The crash people do not see.

Post-exertional malaise, or PEM, is one of the most important symptoms of ME/CFS.

PEM happens when symptoms worsen after activity that may seem small to others. That activity can be physical, mental, emotional, or social. It can be something as simple as a conversation, a shower, a short walk, work, stress, or an appointment.

People with ME/CFS often describe it as a crash, relapse, or collapse. This is why "push through it" can be harmful advice.

For many people with ME/CFS, energy is not just low. It is limited, unpredictable, and costly.