4 Year Struggle with ME/CFS FINALLY Over - How Sjoerd Discovered the Key to Recovery!
- Condition
- ME/CFS
- At worst
- Severe (mostly bedbound)
- Ill before improving
- 4 years
- Published
- No date given
In their words
- Condition: ME/CFS
this is where the burnout stage really graduated to CFS
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - At worst: Severe
I was in bed I could only go for small walks
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Now: Much better
although he's not 100 fully recovered yet he's come miles from where he was
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Began after: stress or burnout
basically the whole project fell uh on my shoulders and I could not handle that for a very long time
Summary
Sjoerd was ill for most of four years, from burnout after a stressful freelance project to chronic fatigue that left him bed-bound at one point. Supplements, chiropractic, Chinese herbs and yoga did little for him and cost him a lot of savings. He credits Faith Canter's chronic fatigue course on how he viewed activity and fear, and resolving the trauma of being ill; he now goes to the beach and drives again but is not fully recovered.
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What they tried
What they credit
Also tried
Their words about each treatment
- psychologist · Helped
I also went to see a psychologist I went to get mental health which helped some
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - supplements · No change
none of it was really helping ... I used to have a whole graveyard of supplements
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Chinese herbs · Not said
I tried Chinese herbs
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - chiropractic · No change
I did Chiropractic I went to a chiropractor ... none of it was really helping
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - yoga and meditation · No change
I don't think you're gonna get it for meditation and yoga ... I did yoga meditation for a very long time
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Faith Canter's free chronic fatigue course · Helped a lot
that is when things started to change for me for the better
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - accepting the losses of being ill · Helped
this one was big for me as well was resolving trauma of being ill
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions
Approaches: CBT & mindset · Trauma & somatic work
Their path
How ill they were on the ME/CFS severity scale, estimated from what they describe at each point, with time counted from when the illness began. Hover or tap a point. 1 step has no time and sits in story order between the steps around it. What the levels mean.
Show as a table
| When | What happened | Where they were | After |
|---|---|---|---|
| onset | Burnout crash from overwork; stopped working and moved back in with his parentsit was so bad that I I couldn't even make my own meals anymoreWatch the video ↗From the video’s captions | Moderate | |
| about two years in | Grew more tired after each date until he was bedbound apart from short walksafter every date I felt more and more tired and to the point where I was I was basically bed bound at one pointWatch the video ↗From the video’s captions | Severe | |
| — | Began improving after learning to stop fearing activitythat is when things started to change for me for the betterWatch the video ↗From the video’s captions | Moderate | Brain retraining programs (DNRS, Gupta, ANS Rewire, Primal Trust) |
| about four years in | Going to the beach and driving again, but not all the way backeven though I might not be back all the wayWatch the video ↗From the video’s captions | Mild |
Symptoms mentioned
Their words about their symptoms
- Post-exertional malaise
I was having crashes all the time even where I would go on a small walk
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Brain fog
I had trouble reading
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Light & noise sensitivity
I couldn't take in any stimulation
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions - Anxiety & low mood
there were some very dark days
Watch the video ↗From the video’s captions
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