Income Opportunities for CFS & Fibromyalgia Patients

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia are disabling illnesses for many women and men. Working a 40-hour a week job can be impossible for those severely impaired. Many patients of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia have either been fired or are forced to quit jobs they did for years. It can be difficult for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia patients to earn a steady income due to the unpredictable nature of these illnesses. One day a CFS and Fibromyalgia patient may feel fine and be able to work but the next day they could be bedridden. Employers need reliable workers and once stricken with these illnesses, reliability becomes a thing of the past.

Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are choices available to CFS and Fibromyalgia patients who are unable to work. The Social Security Disability process can be extremely long and stressful, especially if benefits are repeatedly denied. The social stigma and ignorance surrounding Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia makes it very hard for deserving, sick Americans to receive disability.

There are options available for disabled CFS and Fibromyalgia patients who need to earn an income. The key is to find employment, particularly self-employment, where the CFS & Fibromyalgia patient can set their own hours and work around their illness.

Blogging and Writing Jobs

There are blogging networks, such as b5media, that hire people to blog about many subjects. Usually these blogging networks require 3 - 5 posts a week. About.com hires writers for different topics also. According to About.com, their guides can make up to $100,000 a year. New guides are contracted for a minimum of $725 a month for the first two years. Income is then based on page views.

Writing articles for Associated Content is another great income opportunity. You can submit articles for payment and you will also receive bonuses on page views your articles receive once published. You can submit however many articles you wish a day and you are not required to submit a specific amount. If you are having a bad day, you don't have to write. If you are having a good day, you can submit articles the whole live long day!

Blogging can open up many doors for income potential. Utilizing Google Adsense, affiliate programs and selling advertising space on blogs are very common and popular income opportunities.

Another popular and growing market for bloggers is selling links, or signing up for paid-to-post opportunities. Bloggers can earn anywhere from $5.00 to $100 plus per post with these companies. Popular paid posting companies include IZEA (formerly known as Payperpost), Review Me and Blogsvertise.

Auction Sites

Selling items on auction sites such as Ebay is another option. For some CFS & Fibromyalgia patients though getting out of the house regularly to ship packages may be difficult. Some sellers designate one day a week as their shipping day. Make sure you research products you would like to sell and take into consideration all costs involved: auction fees, Paypal fees and shipping fees.

Crafts

If you are a creative person, making and selling crafts may be an option. You can sell these online, to family and friends, or set up at craft shows a couple of times a year. Some craft ideas to sell include:

- crocheting or knitting afghans, scarves and doilies
- hand-painted items
- creating scrapbook pages
- flower arranging

No matter what you decide to do to earn an income while disabled, the key is to never give up and to always think outside the box. There are many income opportunities available; you just have to be willing to do the research and to possibly learn a few new skills.