Matt's Long Covid (ME/CFS) Full Recovery Story
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 มิ.ย. 2024
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In this interview, Matt shares his full recovery story from Long COVID and what developed into classic ME/CFS symptoms, along with sharing the tools and other resources that worked for him leading to a full recovery!
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TIMESTAMPS
00:14 How Matt's doing now - his full recovery
3:51 How his chronic illness journey started
11:52 What things were like at their worst
16:51 How conventional medicine is approaching this
19:10 Matt's journey to find his own treatment
24:10 What finally helped Matt fully recover
37:05 Matt's experience with various brain training programs
47:50 Matt's message for others facing similar conditions
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REMINDER: This is for information purposes only and nothing I share should be considered medical advice. Please make your own assessment, do your own further research, and consult your trusted healthcare professionals before deciding if anything I talk about here might be right for you.
#longcovid #cfs #chronicfatigue
I have been waiting for 1.5 years for a cure. Noticed there was none and nobody was really trying to get one. I had to quit my full-time job, had to get a per diem job and my wife had to start working more to cover the bills. This was/is highly stressful, giving up hope. I tried to correlate my symptoms with things I did and never could find one. I heard about polyvagal theory, it made so much sense. I started to do Yoga 2X a day, breathwork, Gupta brain retraining, smiling more, watching more comedy shows, focusing on smiling throughout my day, and feeling those good emotions, really concentrating on being happy, and socializing with people I feel safe with. I started to feel better and these correlate. If I don't do yoga, or let myself stay in a stressful state, my body starts shaking, I have that inner vibration feeling, and when I meditate or do yoga, it instantly goes away after that session. Thank you Raelan for all these encouraging videos to give us all hope. I am not fully recovered yet but I will be and I'm super grateful for the progress I have made so far and will be making in the future.
Hello, I m more than 2 years.... Stills have problem ....
Cool tips. Thanks.
How are you doing now?
@@shiba9592
Consider yourself lucky to have found ways to recover so early in your illness.
Try dealing with it for over 30 years! Although now,
I am happy to say I am finally starting to recover from Fibromyalgia and Long Covid! The only thing I hadn't tried in all these years was going Keto, which helped some , but when I went mostly to Carnivore, that is when I had the best recovery symptoms! It's quite miraculous really...😂
The next thing will be EMDR Therapy, as my insurance will cover that type. I hope to undo the trauma of the accident that started it all, plus the stress of pushing thru extreme pain to keep working to cover the bills and keep a roof over our heads... Hopefully then I will become one of the elite group of fully recovered!
We URGENTLY NEED MORE RESEARCH ON LONG COVID ASAP!
Wow great interview!!! He explains everything so well and everything I have gone through in my recovery. I also have done tons of techniques including so much breathwork, working on increasing movement, meditation, self talk, DNRS, Gupta etc. I also have done ton of emotional work learning to be in my body, feel my emotions that were really repressed from childhood. For me the emotional work and working on unconscious beliefs (feelings of not good enough, etc.) has been key to recovery as well as the work bringing down the stress response. I think the people who are not recovering even with brain retraining work should look into the emotional side (repressed grief and anger) and unconscious beliefs (not good enough etc.). The number one thing, however, is to learn to be ok with symptoms not worry about symptoms, try not to think about symptoms and slowly start to move and do more.
I feel like you've summarised my own experience better than I did! Really resonate with your final point. It really helped when I focused on what I could do not on what I couldn't, and not obsess over my symptoms so much. Accept them, not worry about them, and try to find some enjoyment day-to-day. I feel like the whole experience forced me to do a bit of a life reset.
Great advice!!
hi can you tell where can i find stuff about emotional side and unconcious belief to learn ??
@@johnny_kim441 I recommend David Hawkins’ book, Letting Go: The power of surrender. Also Richard Schwartz, No Bad Parts. These are both about emotional healing. You could also check out How to do the Work by Nicole LePerra.
@@christinecoopermusic thank you so much for the book:) and nicole lepera do you mean by watching her vids?
If you just watch one recovery story watch this one. This video was launched just as I started my LC journey. I would have benefited so much if I had found this a year ago and not spent so much time chasing symptoms and looking for medical help before I actually took action. Matt does a fabulous job of talking about his journey and what benefited him. Its made me realise I need to invest time into brain retraining to add to the tools I already use (Yoga, breathing, meditation, Yoga Nidra).
As per my experience as a long hauler there are some points for which we are worried:
1.Breathlessness
2.Palpitations
3.Fatigue
4.Brain fog.
5.Chest tightness and pain with tenderness on deep breathing
6.Blurring of vision.
7.Anxiety,and the fear whether i would be normal again( This is the biggest worry for all of us.)
I myself is a doctor and suffered with severe infection in april 2021 and still struggling with post covid symptoms.Every day is a fight with some good and some very bad days.I have many radiologist and chest physician friends.According to them post covid changes in lungs ie scarring getting healed gradually unlike idiopathic fibrosis which is a good news.The recovery is very slow but fortunately many ppl are recovering.So we must be positive and let the time heal the body.I know its not that easy to live with these symptoms daily and going to bed daily exhausted but these are temporary and we ll be normal again. ALL THE BEST EVERYONE
Hello Rajneesh. Thanx for sharing the info. I got a question. I have long covid since april. Sypmtons : shortness of breath and fatigue. Last week my wife and kids got covid. I escaped the virus by isolating myself as much as i could. But the fear for the virus made my shortness of breath much worse and kicked me 3 months back. I am breathing much worse compared to 1 week ago. How would you deal with it? It is not the virus but the fear of getting it again that made my smptons worse. Do you have any tips?
Rajneesh how are you now?
Hi Rajneesh i had Covid 2 year ago still suffering with breathing problem. It’s better then before but still not fully recovered and have good and bad days any suggestions. Thanks
What is your opinion on LC causing microclots, which is what is actually making healing difficult and slow? Also, how are you with your post covid symptoms? I'm hoping you've healed or close too it
how are you today?
I am recovering from long covid. 8 months In ,and am doing much better. In the beginning I was so I'll I had to be hospitalized. I was bed bound for months. At like 6 months I began to get better slowly. I can do almost as much as pre covid now. I think I need a few more months to be fully recovered,but please hang in there. I know it's lonely and depressing,but I swear I believe we can all get better. I don't know what made me turn the corner,but I think it was mostly time.do whatever you can to keep your spirits up. Try to do whatever exercise you can tolerate,and try to be outside when you can. Emotional health is very important.
I literally relate to almost every part of his recovery story. It's amazing to hear other people's thoughts and experiences while recovering from CFS. It's literally so relatible, it's crazy.
How remarkable! Appreciate the comment DWM...
Thankyou so much Matt. Your journey is inspiring
I love this channel! You are doing gods work Raelan. Giving people hope with these interviews, hope & mindset is a massive part of healing! Thank you
I keep listening to this over and over again, it gives me so much hope for my sweet 20 year old son. He's sick just over four months now and it has been devastating to watch his decline. He's having to take a medical leave from school. I got him a brain retraining app and we are looking for a counselor for him now. He was such a type A perfectionist, who relentlessly pushed himself, a people pleaser too. I know in my gut that this is the answer. The lockdown was traumatic for him, he lost his graduation and prom and then took a year off to start college because he just didn't want to start college on line. Got a very mild case of omicron his second semester, he was both vaccinated and boosted. He wasn't even afraid of getting it because it was ripping through his small Ivy League school and everyone was fine. Came out of isolation and a day later was carrying something heavy across campus and was hit with the PEM. Thank you for sharing your story. I finally got him to watch it and he is a believer that he must take a more active role in his recovery and that he is not just going to wake up one day and be cured. How many months of the concerted effort did it take before you saw your recovery? I know everyone works at a different pace. My feeling is that at 20, his neural pathways can be more easily changed if he puts in the work.
Hi there! Glad to hear my story gives hope for you/your 20 year old son. For me, it took 2-3 months of concentrated effort to get almost fully recovered, but I did notice improvements fairly quickly :) Like you say, everyone works at a different pace... Really recommend keeping an open-mind and truly believing that recovery is possible - this channel is proof of that! Matt
How is he now? Recovered?
@@janybekorozaliev9052 He is MUCH better. He's not 100% yet but is getting there. He started running again last week. He went twice for 25 minutes and so far no crash. They are working him really hard at PT to the point his muscles are sore, lifting light weights again and no crash, and he has been swimming laps at the neighborhood pool for about two weeks and no crash. That said he still has some problems concentrating but it's not as bad as it was. It's not the full on brain fog, just having some challenges. This week was supposed to be 'move in' at school (he is a rising sophomore in college) and he had to put in for a medical leave as there is still no way he can do a full time course load because he goes to a university that does not allow part time and it is one of the most competitive schools in the country (ie stressful). Our concern was if he went back now, before he's close to 100% he might lose all of the gains he's made and would be back here within weeks. He still has some work to do on how he talks to himself and being surrounded by a lot of type A overachievers before he has completely flipped the script would be detrimental. He's pretty down about not going right now, but he's not depressed the way he was a couple of months ago. I am confident if he keeps doing what he needs to do he will be fully recovered in the the next couple of months. He is not as consistent as Matt above was which means he won't recover as fast. That could be because of age, he just isn't as mature as a 31 year old.
@@matthewbutler7876 I wanted to let you know that my son got on an airplane by himself this morning to take a four day trip. We are cautiously optimistic that this may be behind him now. He hasn't had a crash in close to a month and has been exercising regularly again. He is back to reading challenging texts and is coding again so cognitively, no brain fog. He had to make the decision to apply for medical leave from school in early August so is not going this semester. Consequently, he will use this time to travel and is doing a remote internship. We are all crossing our fingers that he is good to go back to college in January! Thanks again for sharing your story!
@@1966jbc I got to this video through your comment on Reddit. I wanted to say thank you so much for directing me here- I am going through the same thing and it has helped me find a plan, and more importantly hope ❤️
Great interview!
Great interview....im so happy for you Matt. I love your comments about recovery programs being hard work...that is my experience too...very hard work!! Also about using the Internet wisely...most definitely...and that might change as you progress with your journey...don't be afraid to step away from individuals and groups as you need....different things can serve you at different times I feel 😀
Thanks, keep hope of recovering alive, a lot of other videos are very discouraging,
Thank you
Thank you so so much for the hope !
Thanks Matt for your interviews and sending us sooo much hope
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Thank you both! Matt describes things very clearly and this renews my hope...that in itself is a priceless gift for which I am desperate and very thankful.
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Thanks to both of you - a wonderful interview & I so appreciate your honesty and generosity in sharing your story of recovery.
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This was the most encouraging story for me as I’m continuing to struggle. So appreciate how sharing can give hope, Thank you!
Deka, I'm sorry to hear about all that you've been facing, I hope you have some support and are managing ok ❤️
This is honestly the best, most helpful, most relatable interview! Thank you for sharing your story and for the dose of Hope! Using all those techniques to cultivate feelings of safety in the body are what is helping me the most too. Doing the brain retraining feels like such hard work but you have to be consistent & keep going & keep doing what feels like fighting to get your life back. And very gradual, very small increases over time.
Absolutely powerfull - I'm a bit lost for words.
Great job Matt!!!!!!!! And thanks Raelan
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Great interview! Good insight into what is happening to us and how to move through this. Thanks Matt and Raelan!
Glad you enjoyed it, Carolyn! 💗💗💗
Just happened upon this video. Raelan, you are a terrific, smart, compassionate interviewer - really pleasant to listen to. Great questions, and you let him speak without interruption. I have not suffered this, but subscribed anyway, because Covid is still out there. Thanks to both of you for helping others through this conversation. Best of health to you both.
Thank you for the kind words, Amy! I really appreciate it! 💓💓💓
Thank you for this great interview, and Matt articulated the experience very well.
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I have directed so many people to this video. It was so helpful to have stumbled upon it seven months ago. My son is now back in college, made it successfully through his midterms. He got Covid again his second week of classes in January BUT had no post covid sequelae (long covid symptoms) following it. I will forever be grateful for this channel and this video. My son used the Curable App which was far less expensive than the programs that Matt relied on but they also provided brain retraining techniques.
I am an athlete and have had long covid for 9 weeks ( the symptoms are identical to cfs) and i have never felt this way in my life - I really relate to everything he is saying. I am so scared and want my life back but I am so so so so happy to watch your videos. Really gives me hope and I know that I will be better!!! THANK YOU
Sorry to hear this, I know from my own experience how tough this can be. But it's fantastic you're feeling happy watching the videos, Raelan's channel is wonderful. Hope is so important and if mine (and many other stories on this channel) are anything to go on, recovery is possible :)
Ragnheidur how are you now? Did you fully recover?
Start exercising
I have long covid and I’m so glad to realise I am not alone with the delay between the acute period and the chronic phase. Mine started a few weeks after returning to work and I had the same adrenal panic sensation so much I thought I had a heart problem. Thank you for sharing, this has given me hope.
Joseph, I'm so sorry to hear about all of your health challenges, I hope you find your fastest path out of this ❤️
Joseph how are you now? Are you active and recovered now?
Same thing happened to me
@@janybekorozaliev9052 definitely on the mend. Thank you 🙏🏼
@@shacarachanel sending you healing wishes
What a candid, thoughtful interview. "Change requires change and it can be quite hard change." Wow. Matt, this was awesome!! Thanks for the shout-out. Your challenges and the insights you shared really resonate and also the humor in it all (yes, totally agree about the retro vibe of that program, lol about talking to yourself on the street). I totally agree with what you say about Long Covid and ME/CFS in the beginning and end of the interview. And what you say about the whack-a-mole approach. Your insight about the Internet is really resonates. And Raelan - glad I watched this one to the very end :-). Your channel is creating a wave of hope. Amazing how it comes full circle!
Thanks again to you for what you do with your site :)
Thank you Matt for going into detail about the brain training aspect of recovery and the mind-body connection, I knew about this but it’s been a great refresher. I watched your interview a few days ago and I already feel I’m benefiting a little from really focusing on that kind, positive self talk to my mind and body eg. “I am safe to do this activity”. Just feel like something’s clicked here for me! I really appreciate the inspiration🙌❤️
Amazing to hear that Katie :)
Thank you guys, massive lift ⭐️ this Chanel is the best thing I have found 💪🏻✅❤️
Thank you, Hen! 💓💓💓
Thank you much for this video - and for being so open and honest Matt. I've been waking up to the brain retraining side of things recently and this has cemented it in my mind. Your video has made me excited and hopeful that I can recover and I'm on the road to doing so. Congratulations on your recovery and fantastic mind set 👏🧡
That’s great to hear Jasmine!
Thank you so much Matt and Raelan. This interview was a much needed bright spot of hope in my day. Matt did such an amazing job of articulating his experience and describing the dedicated work it took to achieve his results. I truly appreciate both of you and your efforts to share yet another recovery journey and for continuing to walk this path with folks coming along behind you.
Really pleased to hear this Sandy
@@matthewbutler7876 may I please ask you what resources you reached out to? Was the first person Pamela Rose? Could you please tell me again where you found the recovery stories or channels that helped you?
So glad I stumbled upon this video. I first tested positive for covid back in November of 2020 and it has been such a battle since then. I was 24 when I started dealing with Long Covid and am now 26 so it has been just as emotionally draining as it has been physically. I have been able to get to some good points along my journey but due to having to work a few manual labor jobs to support my self really set my back along with not understanding pacing at the time. I worry sometimes that I pushed myself so much during the healing process that I will never recover and do the things I truly want to in life. Before this I was always outside hiking, climbing, kayaking and everything else and now I can't even think about going on a hike longer than a mile without having the fear that I will crash again. Seeing things like this truly gives me hope though. I am always learning and trying new things to heal, I am fortunate enough to work from home now but someday's I even find that challenging. If anyone has any additional advice I am always open to suggestions!
Thank you both ❤️❤️ love and blessings 🌞🍀😘
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Another amazing recovery video to add to my list! I’m currently DNRS brain training for long covid and it does take effort but it does work! My advice is keep a diary! I haven’t done that and I wish I had as I have come along in strides. It takes effort but you have to see it as a life changing thing that will help you in the long term.
So good to hear that Derek! Yeah you've hit the nail on the head, practice is key. Keep going and wishing you all the best with your recovery!
Thanks for this, really helpful and thanks acknowledging how hard dnrs is!!!
I really liked this story. Matt is someone who I can deeply relate to and can find myself in him. You inspired me a lot today, Matt. Thank you.
That’s Awesome, Jakob!
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Matt .. you're an entirely delightful person.
I so relate to pretty much everything you had to say - especially the business of fear.
So seeing that you've recovered, has filled me with joy for you - hope for myself - and promise for those who still suffer.
~ Thanks for doing the interview.
So pleased to hear this :)
@@matthewbutler7876hi how long did it take you to recover after starting this mind work? Did you have a routine everyday that you can share? Thank you. !!!
Thank you for this. This guy is me. I started the work, but need to do more. I made a good level recovery but pushed myself physically too hard too fast and now I’m dipping. Pacing is important, if you feel like you can do X, do 1/2 of X. At least until fully recovered. Crashing does not reinforce the right things.
The inner voice is so important. The ‘I’m safe’ is helping me very recently. Especially at times of peak anxiety. The Gupta ‘stops’ are good too.
Staying well away from the long Covid forums is key too. I find any bad news posts incredibly triggering.
Hi Stuart! Wishing you all the best with your recovery!
Stuart, I'm sorry to hear about all that you've been facing, I hope you have some support and are managing ok ❤️
Me too Stuart! Glad I'm in good company of "pushing too hard" patience is not my strongest virtue... But feel so much better and less guilty in the community. Wishing you a great recovery (and agree, the forums are not good!)
Stuart did you recover?
@@janybekorozaliev9052 getting better! Lots of activity
I have long COVID and am not recovered yet. I have never resonated with a recovery story more! I feel like this video is articulating my thoughts, fears and the exact methods I’m using to get better. Fingers crossed I recover too!!
Beatiful interview! You are such a good interviewer Raelan. Matt so happy for you. You've worked so hard for this! And you're explaining so well how psychology plays a role in this, and it is soo hard to accept, even for me, as a psychologist, how mindset can play such a big role in something like long covid! Thanks for sharing ❤️
Lovely thing to say, thank you
Thank you, Elin! 💓💓💓
Such a great video!! It’s been a genuine pleasure to help you, Matt, and see you do so well - you’ve earned every single second of this success! ✨I’m sure your story will give inspiration and hope to many others.
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2 years in and I've started going down the path you are referring to. I am however having treatment via a functional Dr also who has done many thorough testing and found issues no other GP has found. Hormone, thyroid, inflammation etc etc but putting it all together and taking this type of approach will definitely have a better effect. Thank you thank you thank for sharing all this. I'm in Australia and work as a patient transport officer and believe I got Covid very early on before we started testing and acknowledging it etc on top of going into medical menopause only 3 months earlier so it's been a complete nightmare. Having a connection with people such as yourselves is such a relief. Sending big love and hugs.
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After many months of being convinced I had to wait out my 'long covid' I looked into cervical instability and how it can cause all the symptoms that are compatible with ME/CFS.
A misplaced atlas, which is the topmost vertebra of the spine responsible for head movement, can lead to various negative symptoms. When the scalenes compress the artery, it may compromise blood flow to the brain, resulting in problems like vertigo, fatigue, and even heart palpitations [1]. Furthermore, a misaligned atlas can cause symptoms such as headache, neck pain, back pain, dizziness, and hearing problems [2]. The misalignment of the atlas can also lead to migraines, visual disturbances, nausea, vomiting, and feelings of faintness [3]. These symptoms occur due to the misalignment's impact on nerve root irritation, limited range of motion, postural distortion, and brain congestion [2]. It is crucial to consult an upper cervical chiropractic specialist for evaluation and potential treatment if you suspect a misplaced atlas [3].
**References:**
[1] [Atlas joint instability: Causes, consequences and solutions](mskneurology.com/atlas-joint-instability-causes-consequences-solutions/)
[2] [Atlas Correction: Small Vertebra, Large Influence](www.liebscher-bracht.com/en/encyclopedia-of-pain/atlas-correction/)
[3] [Atlas Subluxation Complex (ASC)](www.uppercervicalhealthcentersboise.com/atlas-subluxation-complex-asc.html)
What an amazing interview. I have subscribed and will watch more videos from your channel. I have been off work for more than 4 months (Teaching) with suspected long covid however, like Matt, can resinate more with ME / CFS (extreme fatigue). This interview is inspirational, motivational and has filled me with hope for my recovery journey. Will put into action a lot of the content covered. Thank you. Josh
Hi Josh. Really makes me happy to know the interview has filled you with hope. All the best with your recovery! Matt
Stay consistent buddy. Keep making small steps and chip away on days you feel particularly crap. You’ll recover ✊
Thank you for this interview and sharing your journey. I appreciate your honesty on how recovery wasn’t easy, especially around brain retraining a lot of the times it seems like the magic bullet. It reminded me that it’s okay that the work we have to do on ourselves is hard and uncomfortable and long, relentless and not very pretty, I can forget that sometimes comparing my recovery to others, when you only get the highlights, I question then why am I struggling when it was so easy and quick for others. Wishing you continued health and happiness!
Same here Chantelle. Having a flare today. Keep wondering why I don't make significant progress when I've been working really hard at this stuff for a few years now. The interview is giving me some reassurance.
Wishing you all the best Chantelle. Appreciate the comment :)
@@amiscary sending you love!
Very well said Matt, thanks for sharing and of course thanks to Raelan too:)
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Great to find your channel and this fascinating interview with Matt. I had just in the past week decided to ditch the medication route and embrace a well-being plan to get out of the long covid ups and downs cycle, then this popped up in me feed.🙂 Feeling more hopeful. ❤
Amazing! All the best with your recovery :)
This interview is GOLD 🥇. He trully explains it well. He's so honest and explained things in such a broad aspect yet very precise. Please bring him back again. He seems to have great insights on the personality aspect. How is not just doing brain retraining. Although I believe there's brain training is embedded into everything we do. Please bring him again to explore more topics. Thank you Raelan for all you do. ❤
Thanks, Sky! It would be wonderful to bring Matt back, for sure!
Thank you so much to the both of you! 🙏🏻✨ I myself am dealing with what is called „Long Covid“ but I’m considering it to be ME/CFS. Like Matt I can very much relate to the symptoms and PEM. These videos of recovery give me so much hope! ☀️
Lis, I'm so sorry to hear that you've been dealing with this for so long. I hope you find all your puzzles pieces and can finally put this all behind you soon ❤️
Lis how are you now?
Wow. This. This is what my answer is. After 4 months of excrutiating muscle and nerve pain, spasms, vertigo and panic attacks. I had lost hope. Doctors and neurologists dont have an answer. Long Covid clinics wont take me. DNRS is my solution. Brilliant interview.
Have you improved? I have all of your symptoms :/ 4 months in now
@@lauren3220 no. 8 months
@@lauren3220 no. 8 months now. Getting worse
I do fasting. Had to stop as a woman for the period. I ate one meal a day. On day five i felt strong and happy no depression. Ate histamine low food and no sugar. But!!!!
When i had my break and ate a sugar bomb after an hour my body started to ache/ burn again, weak and when i woke up the bloathed face.
So sugar is a trigger for the inflamation for me.
My allergies are still good though. No stuffy nose etc.
But the happyness strenght is also gone.
Panicky feelings are back.
I think more systems are broken and attacked by covid that is why it is difficult to treat.
Only thing i see now is that not eating the whole day and histamine low is good, sugar is really bad.
Thank you so much!
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Great stuff - would love to hear more POTS recoveries as well!
Noted 💗
@@RaelanAgle WHy did y ou do this interview? What is your agenda? Dollars? You cold have interviewed him in about 15 minutes. There's no treatment here in the UK. Just psychological CBT which mostly doesn't work. He just got better naturally.
I can relate sooo much with the statement of feeling unsafe… when I first got unwell with CFS I always felt unsafe and told everyone and they must have thought I was crazy ☺️ Also did DNRS for my recovery and it is so hard but It honestly works wonders. Still on it and so grateful for the programm.
So glad to hear you're finding DNRS works. Interesting to hear you had the same "unsafe" feeling
Miriam did you recover fully? How are you doing now?
Same here. Feeling unsafe.
Thank you for sharing your healing journey! Congratulations on your recovery! Could you share the brain retraining course you took that helped?
Such an excellent video, especially about pacing oneself. I felt so good after a Swedish massage, I realized that it had been a couple of years since I had felt that good. I'm still doing the vitamins and supplements, afraid to get off of a regimen that has worked so well for me.
Thank you Matt and Raelan! This was exactly what I needed to hear today 🙂.
I had seen progress with the brain retraining that I was doing then got into
a kind of funk again that I seem to get better for a while then go backwards.
This interview has re-invigorated my determination to do what I know works
and stick to it no matter what! Thank you again!
I think that's a very common pattern. I experienced the same and it was certainly dejecting. But you have to persevere and accept that recovery is a kind of rollercoaster. What worked for me was to focus on how having a breakthrough with brain retraining once essentially proves that it's the right solution and you simply need to keep at it. A good metaphor is jumpstarting a car: it might take a few tries before the engine stays running and maybe all you need to do to get it there is make a few adjustments (turn off the lights, radio, and AC). And, taking the metaphor further: you have to keep the car sitting in place for a while with the engine running to let the battery recharge.
@@insideman540 Thanks, that was very helpful! :-)
That's so good to hear. Someone once said to me, progress isn't always linear. Dips, plateaus etc should be normalised in my opinion. Wishing you well with your recovery :)
@@matthewbutler7876 It seems so much easier when things are going well and a lot more challenging when they're not. But I guess that's the nature of human psychology! Thank you Matt!
@@gingerztube Yes 100%. But it's good to at least accept the fact, I think. Allowed me to get a healthy bit of separation/ perspective / rationality from from those days when intense negative emotions existed usually due to a bad day health wise.
Awesome Matt! 😍🙏
💓💓💓
Matt and I sound so identical in terms of personality and experience. I'm about 75% recovered now. Thanks for all of the videos Raelan! :)
This is amazing!!! I'm so happy to hear about all the progress that you've made. Great work!
He is talking twaddle. nonsense
How are you doing now?
Great stuff. I can empathize so much with this. Currently on an up with long Covid after some anti coagulant treatment... Will it last...? Who knows!
So how is this lady on this channel helping? I appreciate what you shared Matt
Great recovery story October 2020 still have extreme fatigue with no stamina slowly getting back to my healthy self I once was
David how are you now? Healed fully?
@@janybekorozaliev9052 yes I feel fully back to my self now my fatigue is gone finally but just need to build on my stamina now.
@@davidrobinson8947 that's great! God bless
It brings me great joy to see this Matt and hear about your recovery! I was on the same Fatigue Rescue course with you and remember how helpful you always were with links to positive recovery stories... and now that's YOU...! How awesome! This is a great interview, very well articulated and honest. Brilliant, thank you 🙏
Hello Kate! I remember you :) Glad you liked it. Wishing you well x
@@matthewbutler7876 Thanks for a wonderful interview Matthew - so helpful to watch - so are you completely symptom free now - like did the heart issues clear up completely?
@@patriciabryant8892 yes completely symptom free (including heart issues etc). Interestingly some issues I had pre-covid like intermittent IBS have also gone. still experience anxiety but again would say that’s less and feel better equipped to deal with it
@@matthewbutler7876 Brilliant- I think anxiety a very normal response f0r those of us going through this - who wouldn't be anxious - out of curiosity if it's OK to ask, how did the pots resolve - did it improve slowly or all of a sudden? You have helped so many people with
@@matthewbutler7876 oops - was saying you have helped so many people with this interview 👍👍
This gives me hope. I’ve had long covid for 8 months now. I’m taking great supplements, starting CBT, have done some acupuncture, meditation, breathing and yoga but so far not much for results.
Brain fog, fatigue is probably my biggest issues. I want to look up brain retraining and Pamela’s fatigue stuff. I have so many issues with mental health that it feels like an uphill battle. Thank you for sharing your story though Matt. It really gives me hope.
I'm so sorry to hear about all of your health challenges, I hope you find your fastest path out of this ❤️
I’m with you on this I so need help 🧠😞
Nice video, can relate a lot. I made huge progress is my recovery, my crashes occurs less and are not as strong as before. I believe what brings them now is the fact I am pushing myself too much as my energy level rises. As soon as I get better I am planning to travel, to get back to work, to attend event etc.. That's a mistake, that's why I relate so much when you were talking about ''planning rest".
Another thing, one who suffers from ME/CFS should not always focus is thought on recovery and the way to achieve it. Thinking is subjective and energy draining. That is thinking (stress/anxiety) that made us sick at the first place, remember.
Luckily, I speak and understand english well which enables me to follow your recovery interviews (And Dan's). In France, we are so late about ME/CFS diagnosis and understanding, that is scary. People tend to believe there is very little chance to recover and it makes patient feel hopeless..
Tout à fait, Fabien! Moi j'ai vu 2 médecins ici qui m'ont dit "Si vous avez eu la mononucléose, cela part après 6 months" comme il n'existe pas de syndromes post virals!
@@Goldennuts44 Oui la pluspart des professionnels de santé que j'ai rencontré non pas de connaissances concretes sur cette conditions. Il y a une poignée de medecin qui s'occupe de l'EM/SFC en France, je vous encourage a obtenir un rdv avec eux.
Thanks Matt (fellow Brit Cyclist) for the positivity. Although I've only suffered for 2 months I can see that this needs to be taken very seriously.
Can you recommend any specific remote sites for the psychological aspects bearing in mind I live in Malaysia?
great videos Raelan - do you have any on long/covid/vax issues that talk about neuroapthy and recovery ?? the pins and needles
I actually love you for this video
Kind of you to say so
@@matthewbutler7876 youres story is exactly the same as mine , I’m not 100 percent yet, i still struggle with believing that it is all from a mental source, that little part of me still thinks something is physically wrong with me, any tips
@@ezza1236 everyone is different and it's always good to find what works for you :) I do think it's important not to blame yourself, however. For me it was a virus that triggered the illness, I just realised that my brain could play a role in hindering or helping my recovery - but that's not to say it's our fault or just "in the head". I do believe there are ways we can use our bodies to help us heal, activities that activate the parasympathetic nervous system (e.g. yoga, meditation), as well as retrain the brain to recover from the trauma (e.g. CBT, brain retraining programmes). I'd certainly recommend reading about the mind-body connection online :)
@@matthewbutler7876 thank you man, this is a great message. I Jjst need to keep retraining my brain when I feel fear or symptoms, as you know it’s hard to not be convinced something is really physically wrong when you are going through a few symptoms, they come and go
Quick question, did you say it’s important to keep exercising and retrain you’re mind to not fear the symptoms? Even when you’re feeling them,
Thanks Matt and Raelan for a great interview! Was really helpful and inspiring hearing Matt's story. Matt, you mentioned that breathwork and meditation played an important role in your recovery, just wanted to ask which breathing techniques and types of meditations you found the most helpful as there are so many out there, interested to hear what worked for you? Thanks and congrats on getting through this!
💗💗💗
I found the headspace app helpful for meditation but also lots on youtube. In terms of breathing, I lay on my bed and set timers for 10/15 mins and practised breathing in for 4 seconds and out for 6 seconds, and repeated that :)
Listening to this story felt like talking about my recovery. It's unbelievable how many similarities we all have. Matt and Raelan, thank you for sharing hope with the world. Can I ask you what type of yoga exercise you were doing/ how often, and when you started the DNRS? 🥰
Thanks a lot Matt, I resonate a lot to your story. I have had a lot of ups and downs, but am currently in a crash, bedbound after one year. But this made me explore all the mind body stuff and gives me hope.
I have a few questions:
How long have you delt with this in total?
And ehat breathing exercises, yoga, and meditation forms were beneficial for you?
Thanks a lot.
Thanks so much for this video. Im curious how long it was from when you first got symptoms to when you felt symptom-free? I'm familiar with the body mind link and just navigating my way through the last month of post covid fatigue. It's amazing how this knowledge just needs to be repeated again and again to help the body feel safe. Always great to have hopeful messages out there!
7 months for me but timelines are different for everyone I’m sure, the important thing for me was finding what worked and practising that
Like doing Mental jiu jitsu
Like doing Mental jiu jitsu
Lovely interview. Can you talk more on insomnia please ? I have the same issues but insomnia is my worse and holding me back from beginning to mov/ exercise and heal. I am so overtired from lack of sleep.
Thank you! I wish information was offered about how to find these people that help other than the host.
I loved this video. But please tell me what those initials of a particular treatment, a mental learning. What is it so I can research it more. It sounds very helpful.
Incredible. Are you able to share the CBT therapist you worked with?
Oh I relate to what hes saying so much, im gonna try dnrs.
Thank both of you for this interview! Really thought provoking. I feel there are many things I can relate to, it could be useful to re-watch it later on my recovery journey (because I will recover, right?)
You will recover, Drinette! 💗💗💗
@Matthew Butler which program do you feel helped you the most? Did I understand that you did an NLP program as well? Also, I have the same fear (fright/flight mode) that you have described - almost doom and gloom (anxiety) sometimes- what helped you most to manage this? Thank you.
Hi there! It's really hard to say what helped the most. I do believe that a holistic approach worked for me - and that the combination of mind, body and environment interventions complemented one another. That said, I did notice an increased improvement particularly around when I started brain retraining programmes, the Lightening Process Introduction course and after completion of the Dynamic Neural Retraining System programme...
I am 7months but still suffer and fighting i hope and pray we will recover this long covid
All the best with your recovery Michael :)
Thank you so much🙏
Michael, I'm so sorry to hear that you've been dealing with this for so long. I hope you find all your puzzles pieces and can finally put this all behind you soon ❤️
@@RaelanAgle thank you so much ma'am🙏🙏
@@matthewbutler7876 thank you so much🙏🙏
Hi Raelan, I'm a long hauler since catching Delta about 1.5 years ago - fully healed (had a relapse when I pushed WAYYYY too hard, but have since gotten back to baseline and able to exercise as much as pre covid) Although I am still trying to pace and not overdo it.
So glad to hear another hapoy ending! Congratulations on your recovery!
John how did you do it? Do you feel you can push everyday now without relapsing?
How long did it take for you to fully get back?
very great video. Im 15 month into long covid. Not sure if i didnt catch it but how long was it until Matt felt recovered? Thank you Raelan you are awesome!
Also was wondering this as well
I felt recovered after 6-7 months, but things only started improving when I made changes (e.g. started CBT, brain retraining programmes). Progress really increased within 1-2 months after then...
This is a beautiful story, so happy to see you are well.
Great interview. Is there any place to find out about how to do the Lightening Process without signing up for their course? Thanks:)
Glad you enjoyed this, Maja! They have books introducing the process (available on Amazon). You have to buy the book but it's a much more cost efficient investment if you want to learn more.
@@RaelanAgle thank you, I just got it from Amazon.
I’m 15 months in long covid and have improved quite a bit. I think it’s the same thing as me cfs once you get over any structural damage. I don’t understand his comments about not relating to long covid sufferers. It seems easy to see that like me cfs people just don’t know what it is early on. So while many don’t realize it’s a post viral syndrome you can relate to the understanding of symptoms and process of disease and healing.
Regarding NHS. There are a lot of long covid sufferers with both the me cfs symptoms and structural lung, heart, cognitive issues
Good point! Really pleased to hear you've seen improvements :)
Update? How are you now?
Oh Matt!! I feel the exact same about my life pre covid!! I was healthy and well on paper, but doing 70h+ weeks and did not know the meaning of rest! Definitely a lot of similarities... I had covid before the vaccine tho and I put this on out of hope but my recovery is going much slower than yours it sounds like...
I was learning how to trade and under high stress and not sleeping, just abusing myself trying to be successful. I was in a constant state of fear trading the markets when I contracted Covid for the second time which changed my life.
The first time I had Covid I was fine. Didn’t get LC.
The second time I believe I was so susceptible because before my infection I was very stressed and abusing my body. I left myself open to let corona ravage me as I probably impaired my immune system from abusing myself with constant state of stress and not taking care of ME. I believe there is a link between people who are under Hugh stress before infection as to whether they will develop Long Covid. God bless you all and save you. I pray we all become masters of our emotions.
Such a great insight, Mona!
Wishing you all the best on your health journey and hoping you find everything you need to get through this. ❤️
I felt so unsafe too! I wonder what causes that…I have long covid and is In the ME/CFS community that I’ve found hope and anxiety relief. The long covid community is in great despair at the moment.
Some believe it’s from the nervous system getting stuck in survival mode due to a constant perceived threat, which is maybe why we feel unsafe. That’s why I personally connected with the brain retraining work as the explanations put forward seemed to resonate. Glad to hear you are finding hope,
@@matthewbutler7876 how far into your brain retraining program did you start to feel relief from this “unsafe” nervous system loop that we are in? It is such an uncomfortable and stressful state.
@Sloth what is helping you get over or manage the “unsafe” feeling that we are experiencing?
@@browneyedgirlFL67 unfortunately for me, I had a hard time. I had to hunker down and bear it for a while. The doctors kept dismissing my symptoms as psychiatric and I refused long term use of benzos. Eventually, I took medication to help me sleep and reduce anxiety which was literally an antihistamine. Which helped some but not significantly. What really turned the switch off was prednisone but that’s when I had to begin dealing with the pain and damage caused by the inflammation that’s I’ve been in for quite so time.
Now I think brain inflammation, autonomic dysfunction, hormonal/neurotransmitter imbalance is what creates these altered states. I personally went full blow sympathetic.
If I could advice myself now, I would take the prednisone right away, I would take the sleeping meds that help you REM, headache/anxiety meds to assist until you begin coping on your own (I found gabapentin helps), I wouldn’t stress or give in to the anxiety as much; It didn’t help that I kept hearing from the doctors that they had no clue what was going, they didn’t know what to do and kept making it easy for themselves by sending me to the psychiatrist, while I literally felt I was dying a slow death.
Omg! PACE!!!, I take hot baths follows by really cold showers (I’ve gotten significant symptom relief from this), sauna, acupuncture (really helped too), lots of massages all kinds, work on gut health, hydration, I take magnesium and some herbs, lots of walks, cut out everything and everyone who is stressful, CBT, I gently challenge my body and mind on my own terms, I’m just being super kind and good to myself. Whenever my body tells me to rest I do that, I don’t push. I’m currently working on stress response and inner dialog. Funny like the guy is the video I’ve literally have to tell myself I’m safe over and over until it clicks.
@@matthewbutler7876 I intuitively described my symptoms as fight or flight but then I also had other symptoms that were clearly inflammation. Maybe one leads to the other and I don’t know which one comes first. I’m glad you recovered so quickly. Mind over matter is definitely helping. Thanks for sharing.
Did you do a special diet?
Thanks a lot. This video was incredibly helpful and gave me so much hope.
I am a vegetarian but did ensure i had the right balance of everything including protein, i also took vitamin d tablets and cod liver / fish oil tablets…
I found stopping drinking alcohol for a few months really helped
@@matthewbutler7876
@@matthewbutler7876 how long did it take you to fully recover? Thank you for answering all these questions. You really are a light for so many feeling they're in darkness
I totally agree with Matt. Longcovid IS ME, not in all, but in many cases. I realised this after about three months and, like him, find the ME/CFS community much more helpful. Maybe denying that one essentially has ME makes it easier to believe that there will be some magic cure some day soon. 🤷♀️
I’m 3 months into this hell. Lost my job, hospital 6 times. Shattered, suicidal, insomnia, HR going crazy, eye pressure high, electric shocks in my body. Right side numb, vertigo, dizziness, fainting, internal back abscess, body lumps. It’s pure hell.
Paul, I'm so sorry to hear about all of your health challenges, I hope you find your fastest path out of this
@@RaelanAgle Thank you for your kind words.
Similar story as mine but with TH-cam and people in the same pain you can find relief and heal it's very difficult but it's very possible also
Matt I so would love to speak with you because your one that really described what I’ve been experiencing many of my symptoms are real but I just don’t know how exactly how to get out of this horrible ditch 😞I’m in
Are antihistamines okay to take for suppressing the symptoms while combined with the techniques about retraining the nervous system? I'm trying to understand if i should stop taking them, because when I do it feels terrible. I still feel the symptoms when I take the antihistamines, but they are way less intense.
Hi Matt, thank you very much for sharing all that. I have a few questions - in case you feel comfortable to share a bit more, I will appreciate your answers.
What is your life now? Did you come back to what it used to be like before in terms of the physical abilities (e.g. do you cycle and work out as much as before)?
Regarding the depression that accompanied the crashes, did you benefit from any farmaceutical help or was it only the psychological therapy and the self-couching that allowed you to get over it?
I understand you took a long term break from your professional work when you had the worst time. Am I right?
Thank you and I am wishing you all the best
Hi zofia! Life is healthy again. I can walk for hours and exercise how I like, although I don’t do things in such extremes anymore more out of choice instead of ability. For the depression and anxiety, I worked with a really good psychologist, did relaxation techniques (meditation, breathing) and took beta blockers for a little while. A mixture of therapy and drugs, however both have stopped now. And yes i stopped working completely for a few months…hope that’s helpful?
@@matthewbutler7876 hello Matt! Would you say your pots symptoms or spiking heart rate has found a healthy balance again as well?
@@KatieBarboza yep 100%, no heart issues anymore. I can do vigorous exercise again and have no issues…
Hi, did you have any vascular issues?
Be so interested to know how many carried on working/had a mild case of covid but also have this personality you are describing that pushes through. I had a fairly similar experience though the gap was about 10 days!
I had no gap and was a bit worse off. No hospital though.
Yeah it's an interesting point. I've started seeing advice online telling people not to go back to strenuous activity too quickly after isolation ends. I think the gap was about 2 weeks for me, so a similar time...
If you search for the video that @gezmedinger did on Type A personality and long covid, it echoes the uncanny relationship. Have been watching a slew of his videos, i find fascinating. Glad to have discovered yet another good TH-camr in the topic of Long Covid; unfortunately you guys are far and few between!
Dear Raelan,
I'm at the beginning of my long covid trip.
Could you please ask Matt if I can contact him directly and ask him a few questions.
I would be great.
Thank you
Renata
You are manifesting in your life what ever you put behind the I'AM______.
I am is very powerful!
I am safe.
I am whole.
I am healed.
I am stronger and stronger every second of each hour.
I am healed from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet.
I am fearless.
I am heathy.
Picture the purest white light of Christ cleansing every cell in your body of all diseases only light and love can be in my body.
We all will get pass this!
God bless us all with perfect health.
We ask you Lord to give us the decrement, knowledge and wisdom
needed during these times. We give you the glory Lord
I love you. Thank you for this beautiful post.
Must depend where in the uk and when you got it, as I got diagnosis of long covid in Oct 2021 and offered no tests or treatment to help me. Still have major issues now.
Is there anyway to contact Matt?
How to get over palpitations?
Matt talked about getting back into his "biking". He said he did 4 hr cycles? How often did he use biking as exercise before he was diagnosed?
Before I was sick I used to cycle regularly. It was my main mode of transport during the week in London and would go out for long rides. I needed to stop cycling in recovery as I couldn’t tolerate the activity. I can now cycle again. I haven’t tested what I can do, but I have no doubt I could do a long ride if I needed to :)