The Chronic Illness Recovery Podcast

From Bedbound to Living Again: Mitch’s M.E/CFS Recovery Story A few years ago, Mitch was a fit, active teenager.   Then his body started shutting down.   Within weeks, he went from riding his bike to school… to ending up in hospital, terrified, wondering if he was dying.   At his worst, making his bed felt like a massive achievement. The couch became his whole world. Noise, light, c...

The recovery trap that keeps people stuck with M.E/CFS One of the most frustrating parts of M.E./CFS recovery is doing all the right things… and still feeling like nothing is moving.   You’re trying. You’re careful. You’re doing your best.   And yet, progress feels stuck.   In this week’s podcast, I talk about something I see all the time — what I call the recovery trap.   It’s...

Why you're not getting better A lot of people with M.E./CFS are working hard on their recovery.   They’re resting. They’re being careful. They’re doing what they’ve been told.   And still - nothing shifts.   In this Q&A replay, I explain why this happens so often and the one thing that usually needs to change before the body can actually move forward.   For many people...

The Missing Piece in M.E./CFS Recovery If you’ve been trying to recover from M.E./CFS and still feel stuck despite doing everything you’re “supposed” to do — you’re not alone.   Most people aren’t doing anything wrong.   They’re missing one foundational piece and without it, the body simply can’t move forward.   In this short podcast, I explain why effort, belief, and motivation alo...

What real M.E/CFS progress actually looks like Before joining CFS Health, Raff was spending  around 22 hours a day resting .   Getting dressed. Eating meals. Holding her head up. All of it took everything she had.   She lived with constant dizziness, tinnitus, light and noise sensitivity, and severe brain fog. Even a  one-minute walk  could wipe her out for days.   Li...

Why You Keep Crashing with M.E/CFS If you keep having one good day… followed by days or weeks of feeling worse, this episode is for you.   I break down the key reason people with M.E/CFS stay stuck in the push–crash cycle and the simple framework that helps you stabilise, build strength, and finally move forward again.   It’s the same method that’s helped thousands of people reduce crash...

Stop exercising like this If movement keeps making your symptoms worse… you’re not doing anything wrong.   You’re simply using an approach that doesn’t work for M.E/CFS, Long COVID, POTS, fibromyalgia, or post-viral fatigue.   So I’ve put together a clear video walking you through 9 things you need to know before doing any kind of movement — even gentle stretching or a short wa...

Please don’t believe this… If you’ve ever heard things like: “Everyone gets tired.” “It’s all in your head.” “You just need to exercise more.”   My heart goes out to you - because comments like these can stay with you for years.   In this week’s episode, I break down the six biggest myths doctors still tell people with M.E/CFS… the same myths that leave so many feeling misunderstood...

Stuck in a crash? Listen this. If you’re stuck in a crash or setback, I filmed a short guide that shows you  exactly how to stabilise and recover safely,   step by step.     Here are 4 ways we can help. 1. Join our free community to meet others, be inspired, and get more recovery info -   https://www.facebook.com/groups/cfshealthrecoveryhub   2. Watch the ne...

Imagine your body just quits. I remember watching Charlie’s journey. She was a high-performing mental health nurse, a mum, a wife — the kind of person who always gave 110%.   Then one day, her body just quit.   She couldn’t climb the stairs. She lost her job. Her husband had to help her get into bed.   She felt she’d lost everything that defined her.   Imagine that fear: Your m...

When your body completely shuts down What would you do if your body suddenly stopped working?   For Julie, it happened almost overnight. She went from running her life, career, and home… to sleeping up to 18 hours a day — unable to move, dizzy, and terrified.   Every test came back  normal. Doctors shrugged their shoulders. No one could tell her why her body had completely shut down...

CFS Recovery Story You Need to Hear There comes a point in every recovery story where the body just says enough.   For Ahil, that moment came suddenly - fainting spells, intense pain, nights without sleep.   One day, he woke up and realized he couldn’t keep living like this.   He wasn’t lazy. He wasn’t weak. He was completely burnt out - body, mind, and soul.   And that’s...

This got me out of M.E/CFS Meet Lauren.   A few years ago, she was working 60-hour weeks - constantly on the go, trying to hold everything together.   She thought the fatigue was just stress… until one day, her body completely shut down.   She couldn’t make her bed. She couldn’t cook. Even a short trip to the store left her in pain for days.   Doctor after doctor gave her...

M.E/CFS Recovery After 27 Years (Sue's Full Story) If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s too late to recover, you need to hear Sue’s story.   She lived with ME/CFS for nearly 27 years.   There were days she couldn’t walk, couldn’t speak above a whisper, and had to be fed by her husband.   The fatigue was so heavy she once said it felt like “walking through deep mud with a wet blanket...

From Bedbound Teen to PhD — Steph’s CFS Recovery Story When Steph was just 16, she went from playing two games of netball a day… to not being able to walk to the bathroom on her own.   Doctors told her it was “all in her head.” Friends drifted away. And hope started to fade.   But Steph refused to give up.   Week by week, little by little, she rebuilt her life.   From being bed...

CFS Recovery: The 3 things that saved my life   If you’ve ever felt like your life is on hold because of M.E./CFS, you need to read Lauren's story.   Just five years ago, she was facing the worst kind of storm: a 60-hour work week, burnout, and a pending divorce. She felt horrible and was struggling in bed every single day.   Lauren realized she had a choice: Keep the old life that...

Feeling drained? It might not be the reason you think Have you ever wondered why even a simple chat with friends can leave you completely exhausted? I used to think it was just me.   What I later learned is that chronic fatigue syndrome isn’t just about one kind of tiredness, there are different types of fatigue that affect us in different ways.   In this week’s podcast, I explain each t...

Tired of overexplaining? When you’re living with CFS, it can feel exhausting trying to get others to fully understand.   The truth is, they may never completely “get it”and that’s okay.   In this new episode, I share a simple shift in how to respond, set boundaries, and find a way that feels lighter for you, without overexplaining or feeling guilty.   Ready to feel lighter in your c...

When they think you’re “just tired” One of the hardest parts of chronic fatigue syndrome isn’t just the symptoms - it’s when people around you don’t really understand what you’re going through.   In this week’s episode, I share why that happens, and a few gentle ways to handle those moments so you can feel more supported and less pressured to explain yourself.   I’d love to hear fro...

The truth about CFS tiredness vs. normal tiredness Here’s a question I get all the time:     “Am I just tired… or is this CFS tiredness?”   In my latest episode, I break down the biggest difference between normal tiredness and CFS tiredness — and why getting this wrong can keep you stuck in the push-crash cycle.     It’s a simple but powerful shift that can change how you...

CFS recovery in just 6 months? Rob’s GP told him: “There’s nothing wrong with you.”   But he knew something was deeply wrong.   He’d wake up inflamed head-to-toe. His mind foggy, his muscles aching, his energy completely gone.   This was a man who used to run races and live life at full speed. Suddenly, he couldn’t even trust his own body.   The scariest part? His tests were “p...

From “I’ll never recover” to hiking in the USA Karissa was a mum of three, broken down by long covid. She was so unwell she thought the only option left was to be placed in a coma. She couldn’t be the mum she wanted to be — and the guilt and shame were crushing her. That’s when she faced an impossible choice: Keep pushing… and risk her health collapsing even further. Or put herself first — even if...

The hardest part of CFS recovery Most people think recovery is just about finding the right treatment or plan.   But after helping thousands of people recover worldwide, I’ve seen the real difference-maker… and it’s not what you think.   In this episode, I share the 15 acts of courage that every single recovery story has in common — even from people who almost gave up.   The truth i...

She thought she’d get better… until she needed a wheelchair Pamela thought it was “just a virus.” She kept pushing through. Until one day—she fainted at the airport.   The staff refused to let her fly unless she was in a wheelchair.   That’s when it hit her…   This wasn’t going away on its own.   In this emotional new episode, Pamela opens up about the hardest part of her long...

I was sick for 15 years… and no one knew why. Alisoun had spent her life helping others. Leading teams. Running events. Showing up. But no one knew what she was really going through. Not even her doctors.   In this episode, she opens up about the silent collapse she faced — and what finally helped her shift from surviving to living again.   It’s not just her story.   It’s a reflecti...