Resources

Here are some resources that may be useful as you navigate recovery from ME/CFS or long covid.

I am not affiliated with any of the resources below, aside from my blog, obviously! I just think they are very good.

My blog

Check out my blog on Psychology Today, in which I explore the art and emerging science of recovery from ME/CFS and long covid.

Curable

Here is a link to a 6-week free trial of the Curable app.

The app was designed for people living with chronic pain, but its ideas are also highly relevant for any number of other persistent symptoms. It helped me a lot during my own recovery from ME/CFS and long covid.

A core practice on the app (under "brain retraining") is "somatic tracking". Here is a podcast episode explaining more about somatic tracking. Again this practice can be used not only for pain, but all persistent symptoms.

Curable’s Like Mind, Like Body podcast is well worth a listen.

The Freeme App

I only recently came across this app, but it looks to be offering a similar experience to Curable, but specifically for people living with ME/CFS and long covid. It was developed by a former royal marine who recovered from ME/CFS. See his recovery interview with Raelan Agle here.

If you purchase the app through the website, you can get a full refund after any length of time if you aren’t happy with it.

Practical books on recovery

The books below are focused on recovery from chronic pain using the latest neuroscience research. However, the core ideas are all highly relevant to long covid and ME/CFS.

The Way Out by Alan Gordon.

Unlearn Your Pain by Howard Schubiner.

Mind Your Body by Nicole Sachs.

Pain Reprocessing Therapy Workbook by Vanessa Blackstone & Olivia Sinaiko.

Wider psychotherapeutic ideas

The books below are focused on wider psychotherapeutic ideas and approaches which are likely to be helpful for many people in their recovery journeys.

No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz is an introduction to Internal Family Systems or IFS therapy.

It’s Not Always Depression by Hilary Jacobs Hendel is an introduction to Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy or AEDP.

Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay Gibson helps readers to heal from the impacts of emotionally immature parenting. This will naturally only feel relevant for some people with ME/CFS and long covid.

The mind-brain-body connection

The books below are focused more generally on how the mind-brain-body connection can help us understand complex chronic illnesses like ME/CFS and long covid.

The Myth of Normal by Gabor Maté does an impressive job of exploring the interplay between psychosocial stress, trauma and chronic illness.

The Immune Mind by Monty Lyman offers a readable overview of psychoneuroimmunology, a field which explores how the brain and wider nervous system are inextricably connected to the immune system, the gut microbiome and other bodily systems. The chapter entitled “Nobody’s Land” does a great job of exploring how this science can help us better understand long covid and ME/CFS.

The Experience Machine by Andy Clark offers a fascinating account of the neuroscience of predictive processing — a theory of how the brain constructs our reality, which has exciting implications for understanding persistent physical symptoms.

Seven and a Half Lessons about the Brain by Lisa Feldman Barrett explores how the brain seeks to keep our body in balance.

The Inflamed Feeling: The Brain’s Role in Immune Defence by Mats Lekander introduces the field of psychoneuroimmunology.

Neurodivergence

Research shows that neurodivergent people are more likely to develop ME/CFS or long covid. These books may be helpful if you are autistic or have ADHD, or if you are interested in learning more.

How to Thrive with Adult ADHD by James Kustow.

Autism by Sue Fletcher-Watson and Francesca Happé.

Why Can’t I just Enjoy Things? A Comedian’s Guide to Autism by Pierre Novellie .

YouTube

Raelen Agle and Heal with Liz both have YouTube channels full of inspiring interviews with people who have recovered from ME/CFS and long covid.

Heal with Liz also has a resources page on her website, and she has created a guide to 27 ME/CFS and long covid recovery courses.