Breaking Free from Chronic Fatigue and Long Covid Symptoms

by Jan Rothney

With 265,000 cases in the UK alone, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is more common than people may think, yet is poorly understood. Breaking Free fills this gap in knowledge, providing a route to recovery. Across 9 chapters, it shows that the cycle of exhaustion, poor concentration, loss of memory and pain can be broken and that there is real hope of recovery. In addition to covering CFS, the author outlines connected areas of Post Viral Fatigue (PVF), explaining how to tackle protracted symptoms that can arise following contracting Covid. Given that in November 2021 it was reported by Office of National Statistics that a staggering 1.1 million people in the UK were experiencing Long Covid symptoms, Breaking Free is more essential than ever. Readers will benefit from the clear and tested step-by-step guide offered by a woman who has not only done it herself, but who has helped 1,000 people fight their way out of a serious condition back to a healthy and productive life. With the support of a media campaign, readers will find that Breaking Free offers a comprehensive, informative, and supportive guide to recovery from CFS and Long Covid Symptoms that sustains its relevancy and importance.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Medical

270 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 8, 2022

Reviews

[Jade Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is so much I enjoyed about this book, but in the end I find it too binary and perhaps biased by UK medical practices.

I appreciated the positivity and relentless focus on recovery. I agree with the focus on getting out of the sympathetic nervous system as one of the key components of recovery.

I worry that people new to the illness won’t get the message early enough that you need to rest at first. I also believe that long COVID is more complex than chronic fatigue and will have preferred that this book acknowledge and position its recommendations in partnership with medications that can also assist with healing the body.

In my opinion the use of long anagrams and metaphors made the book more complicated and harder for people with brain fog to read.

[Matthieu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an excellent resource for anyone suffering from these types of conditions and looking for other answers then to simply rest and pace.

It builds on the hypothesis of autonomic dysfunction/neurological maladaptation The author supports this with research and lays out clear steps to take towards recovery.

Some of the resources the book is based on:
- Polyvagal theory
- Techniques from NLP
- Vagal exercises
- Brain retraining exercises

I still have to but the knowledge to the test and see results but the theory is solid.

The work is simple but not easy and requires a lot of hard work.

[Ade Spall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been suffering from MECFS for the past 17 years, slowly recovering for the past 4. From my own experience (and research) this book is ‘bang on the money’ in many ways. The journey to recovery is harrowing & long, but this book contains many gems including a good overview of the biophysical processes at play as well as a path to start to fight one’s way out of the illness. No shortcuts here, just hard work and an unquenchable belief that you will recover. Recommended.

[Eleanor Bowen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Potentially the most valuable book I’ll ever read

[Lynda Friend · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that would benefit every reader. Every day life is challenging and this book helps and supports everyone especially people experiencing debilitating health problems both mentally and physically. It provides fascinating insight into how our brain works and how we deal we trauma. I would thoroughly recommend this book to all age groups - a book to be kept close at hand - a life enhancing experience with support and guidance crucial to our very existence.

[JC · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a good read if your struggle with chronic fatigue, however it made me wonder if there wasn’t any editors involved? From time to time it gets quite repetitive and the writing is a bit messy. It was hard to read with brain fog and some parts wasn’t clear to me. For me the structure of the book could have been better but I got some techniques from it that I y implement in my recovery journey

[Georgina Paterson]

This is an excellent book in every way. Full of wisdom & practical help. Highly recommended

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent !! An accurate account of what it’s really like to have CFS or long covid. Very helpful advice on how to overcome these illnesses.

[Roma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely a must read for any bedridden patient, but omg was there no editor involved? The book is so chaotic. Regardless, the core message is worth gold and has done a lot for me in my recovery from post covid.

[Soraya · Rating 5 out of 5]

3 stars for the writing. It’s an indie book and just not clear (which is really not helpful as the target audience is people who probably have brain fog), but if you can get through that, the ideas are worth 5 stars. I wish it had a professional publishing team to make the presentation worthy of the ideas. The basic concept is paradigm-shifting (and understandably controversial), allowing us to look at chronic illnesses like Long COVID in a very different way. It’s a way that gave me the spark of hope I needed to come out of my COVID-induced depression and being passively suicidal. I’m getting better after 28 years of chronic illness worsened by 17 months of severe Long COVID.

This book introduced me to Polyvagal Theory and how it applies to so many chronic conditions. I recommend reading “The Myth Of Normal” by Gabor Maté along with this book to get a fuller picture of how nervous system dysregulation occurs and the damage it can do. And look into Polyvagal Theory from the source to get a deeper understanding of how and why Rothney’s methods can work.

I’m so grateful for this book and hope others with similar chronic illnesses can deal with the lack of clarity to get to the important ideas.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book helped to change my life!
It is a precious tool in my tool kit. It assisted in my recovery and keeps me on track as I continue to live in great health after having had CFS for 15 years. I strongly recommend anyone searching for a scientific as practical guide through the labyrinth of CFS and Long Covid to pick up and read this book. It will answer your many questions, blow away myths and give you wisdom derived from experience. Jan’s methods work!

[Deborah Dennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should read this book. I am not a sufferer of CFS or Covid, but now understand why I have had other symptoms during my life. It was so interesting to see how our body works and the last few chapters apply to everybody who wants a happy, healthy life. A fascinating read.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book for mind body disorders, brilliantly written! Explains clearly how our nervous system functions, how to regain health and thrive.

[Trent · Rating 4 out of 5]

In many ways, this book is just what I needed. The "treatment" I have received through the NHS' Long COVID Clinic only made me worse (much worse). It's clear that pacing the way they describe and feeling scared / blaming yourself is not helpful. This book gave me hope, which I haven't felt in years, and it backs up all the latest research. I am confident it will change my life and I've already bought the online programme. My main critiques are that it wasn't well edited, was quite repetitive in ways that weren't always helpful, and I actually felt it was missing clarity in a lot of ways. There were great examples of recovery but not enough practical examples of how to get there. That said, a must read for anyone with chronic fatigue!

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was an interesting book with lots of tips BUT I do think there was an overemphasis on the mind-body connection. I caught Covid in 2020 and have had Long Covid ever since - I’m pretty much recovered now. I put this down to natural recovery (I.e time), careful (but not anxious) resting and pacing and several medical interventions including Clopidogrel (blood thinner to manage microclots) and LDN. We understand more about LC now than at the time this book was written so I would urge people to seek expert medical help too (in the UK that will sadly mean private care). It’s not enough to hope your mind will heal!

[Kellie Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

long Covid

This book was super educational and gave great references and advice on changing mindset especially with the “incurable” CFS.

I skim read the book and made some notes on further reading and decided to focus more on my stress relief and symptom management as well as accessing therapy. Financially these feel like large burdens but I’m trying to view them as an associated cost with bettering my health.

Thank you for making your book available on kindle unlimited.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have been bombarded with the false ‘no recovery’ narrative for years or decades and are sceptical or nervous about working on recovery then this is an excellent place to start.

Jan’s own experience of ME/CFS , of being told, like many of us , that she just had to accept it and manage it , is interspersed with a comprehensive guide to recovery with exercises throughout the book

Follow these clear and simple steps and understand how and why fully functional and sustainable recovery is not only achievable but is happening for people even with severe and very severe ME/CFS

This approach is also bringing results for people with Long Covid ,not surprisingly
But this book is also useful for anyone to learn how to deal with burnout or simply to live better
Jan addresses the problem of people with ME/CFS seemingly recovering but then relapsing because they did not put in place a more healthy lifestyle

There is no cure for ME/CFS because there is no diagnostic test to prove the presence and then the absence of the condition
So the word ‘cure’ is a red herring
Similarly there are no treatments which work for everyone with ME/CFS or LC but there are treatments which people use to recover

It is cruel to steal hope from very sick people by telling them they can’t recover
Jan is addressing this with the best collection of techniques I have seen in a book

There is no single magic cure but a fully functional and sustainable recovery is achievable

An empowering and refreshing book