Are you tired all the time after having a viral infection? Do your muscles feel weak and emptied of energy for days? Then you could be suffering from ME - Myalgic Encephelomyelitis, or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Viral infections trigger 70 per cent of all ME cases, and about 240,000 people in the UK have ME, including high-risk groups like doctors, nurses and teachers.

Now there is a helpline called ME Connect, operated by volunteers, who are reaching out to sufferers of one of the most misunderstood illnesses in the world. The helpline is run by the ME Association, a national charity, which is also helps people who just want reliable and fast information.

Until recently, the medical profession doubted the existence of ME. The media even dubbed it as yuppie flu', attributing it to people who worked too hard and partied too long, or were driven perfectionists.

This attitude, however, is changing. ME is more widely recognised as a genuine illness which affects people of all ages and from all walks of life. The Department of Health started this process with a landmark report about the symptoms of ME six years ago, concluding that it is a neurological illness.

But key health professionals still frequently ignore the growing evidence that ME is a real' illness. There are no universally accepted diagnostic tests and there is still no cure.

Without these, sufferers still face disbelief about their symptoms from doctors, friends, colleagues, and even family. Which is where ME Connect can help.

"Staying in is the new reaching out for volunteers on Britain's top ME telephone helpline - ME Connect," said Tony Britton, PR and fundraising consultant and managing editor of The ME Association. "They're at home, sitting quietly by the phone for a couple of hours a week so they can concentrate on taking calls from people with ME, their families and carers."

Much time and effort is spent on selecting and training volunteers for what can be a difficult task.

A spokesman for MR Connect said: "The key requirement is that volunteers must show us that they are really good listeners: non-judgemental, and with an ability to point callers towards choices which suit them. And they must have a willingness to learn.

"What we can't cope with is people who just want an excuse for a gossip. That's not for us, or our clients."

If you think you could be an ME Connect volunteer, please contact Hilary Briars on 01663 750846 (any day before 6pm) or email meconnect@meassociation.org.uk If you think you might be suffering with ME, or for more information about this debilitating illness, call the ME Connect helpline 0870 444 1836. The line is open every day of the year 10am-noon, 2-4pm, 7-9pm. Or go online to www.meassociation. org.uk