Recovery from CFS: 50 Personal Stories

I turned to this book when I had given up trying to find a cause for my CFS/ME, and wanted to hear stories of people who had completely recovered. I could no longer work, or socialise much, I could hardly walk far, it had totally taken over and limited my life. I felt like I was a 95 year old, in my late 40s.I had tried everything and now wanted to listen to the cures. I went through and focussed on the stories involving complete and relatively rapid recovery. I figured that if I was well before I could be completely well again and making do with 'managing' the condition would mean that I was missing the actual cause. I had also given up with tweaking my diet because I looked around at other people who were much more relaxed about what they ate or did, and they didn't have this disabling condition. The only stories in the book written by people who had fully recovered seemed to be about people who had gone down the 'mind-body' route. One such treatment was Reverse Therapy. I was at the point where I was open to the idea that the illness had its roots in my thought and belief patterns. Which is not to say that it wasn't real, it was very real, and had severely limited all areas of my life. But I read the book on Reverse Therapy and booked a reasonably-priced session with the author, Dr John Eaton. From then on my recovery was rapid, and within weeks I started living a full life. 5 years later I know CFS will never return as I know the key for me, and I more energetic than ever before. If someone had told me I would recover using a mind-body therapy I would have said they were wrong, because I would have felt they were saying the illness wasn't real. But it is real, and I did recover fully.

There are so many stories of doom online if you are suffering with CFs and looking for answers, which can add to a general feeling of hopelessness. The lack of medical knowledge, or even at times interest, in this condition means that one can end up looking anywhere for some sort of help to deal with this horrible illness. This book was really uplifting in terms of demonstrating that people CAN and DO recover (contrary to what the medical profession will often tell you) and that there are many paths to recovery. Although the divergence of stories can times that can feel a little confusing and even overwhelming in terms of trying to figure out what might be right for you, my experience was mostly of feeling relieved that there could be a number of different avenues I could explore which might help in my recovery. The approach of simply allowing ex-sufferers to speak for themselves and a simple format outlining what they'd recommend at the end of each chapter made it both personal and practical, almost like getting word of mouth recommendations from the people who know best - because they've been through it. I would recommend anyone suffering with CFS or anyone who knows someone who is, to buy this book. Ultimately the message is that you need to take responsibility for your own recovery, believe you can get better and never give up.

This book is amazing, easily the best book I have read of many CFS/ME books!I was so feed-up of reading stories of people never getting over CFS/ME that when i found this book i ordered it straight away.Not only is this book filled with wonderful recovery stories, but at the end of each story is a list of useful books, websites and clinic's to look into.This book is the CFS/ME bible, i would strongly recommend this to anyone with CFS/ME.Brilliant book!!

I really enjoyed the book. There were a diversity of people and treatment approaches covered, and I thought it was very well compiled and edited. Each story varied in its length and style, and I was able to gain a clear insight into what helped each person. When I read a story that resonated very closely with my experience of the condition I would often find huge reserves of unspent emotion welling up and I would begin to cry. Not necessarily tears of sadness or tears of joy, but the stories just managed to touch me so deeply that I couldn't help but sob. I found it very cathartic and strangely uplifting.One thing that struck me was that people recovered using both psychological and physiological interventions (sometimes exclusively, sometimes combined). I personally find a combined approach to be beneficial to me and was thus heartened to feel like I am covering all my bases and doing the best that I can. I've got my head down and have my eyes fixed firmly on the prize.The reason that I didn't give the book 5 stars is that I feel some people probably didn't have CFS/ME. One woman's story was all about how she found out she had hypothyroidism and medicating with thyroid hormones cured her within two hours. She was diagnosed with CFS/ME by no less than SIX specialists and suffered with debilitating illness for 8 years. Obviously her condition was remarkably similar to CFS/ME and I'm not saying she wasn't seriously ill, but hypothyroidism is hypothyroidism, not CFS/ME.I think the bickering over CFS vs. ME is absolutely useless whilst we lack biomarkers and improved diagnostic processes. I understand that people feel CFS trivialises a very debilitating condition, but in all likelihood we'll probably end up with 4 or 5 distinct subcategories when all is said and done. In the meantime, I am happy to know that people with a very similar if not identical physiological dysfunction as I are bouncing back to full recovery.If you're looking for a motivational boost and something to plant hope back in your life, I can highly recommend this book.

A total life-saver of a book!! Everyones story is different and with a different story of success treatment. The most import word here being, success!!! My advice is to read the book through, digest the information, read it again and mark out the pages and life stories that are most like yours - then you will see the best treatment for revovery staring you in the face. I really cannot thank this author enough for changing my life around!!

I'm a french woman living with the ME-CFS for 15 YO now. This book with these 50 testimonials is one of the best for people who are suffering from this disease: healing testimony with many valuable tips (food, way of live, rest, food supplements, etc...).

Even though this book is now somewhat outdated, I still found it very valuable in changing my perspective on CFS/ME. It is inspiring to hear the stories of people who have recovered, and in reading 50 such stories, one begins to see trends and patterns.

I don't write books reviews, most of the times because other reviewers has previously said in other words or in a different way what I think of the books.But in this case I felt really moved to do it, first of all because if, you know or if you suffer for such condition...then this book is a candle in the dark.I won't bore you with my own story, but I have been trough terrible times, caused by this Syndrome and by the doctors/professionals indifference or apathy.I'm MUCH better now thanks to following my survival instincts and my own inner healing process (herbs, changing resting and eating habits, etc) and although I just discover this book recently, much of the things I have done on my own are mentioned trough the different chapters in the book.This is a fantastic book if you are related in any way with CFS either trough a relative of someone who suffers, a professional in the health area that may be exposed to persons with CFS/ME or if yourself are a person who suffers from this cause, if that's the case I can't recommend this book highly enough.As a final words, let me said that if someone has to explain what it's like or how it feels to live with the condition, just read the chapter "The Elephant and M.E" it's fantastic from start to finish!Muchas Gracias, Carlos!

I got ill with ME/CFS three years ago. After a sudden onset, I suffered from very severe ME from the beginning on. Now, three years later, I see myself as recorevered. I don't have any symptoms any longer. When I was too weak for holding a book, my boyfriend read stories from ythis book to me. Again and again. And I always told myself, it is possible. The stories were so encouraging for me! I can highly recommand buying this book! It is so helpful not to give up hope! Thank you, Alexandra, for writing this book!

Das Buch ist super, um zu sehen, dass diese Erkrankung eben nicht UNHEILBAR ist, sondern, dass es einige Menschen gibt, die wieder genesen sind.Ich finde es nur etwas schade, dass überwiegend, teils sehr umstrittene, Programme bzw. Therapien als Heilungsgrund genannt werden. Damit meine ich nicht, dass so etwas gar nicht in das Buch gehört, sondern ich hätte es noch besser gefunden, wenn ein paar mehr Erfahrungsberichte mit anderen Methoden aufgelistet worden wären. Das ist aber natürlich ein ganz subjektives Empfunden.Dazu kommt noch, dass das Buch 2008 verfasst wurde und es dementsprechend schon recht alt ist.Ich kann es aber trotzdem als kleinen „Mutmacher“ für Betroffene empfehlen, um besonders an schlechten Tagen diese positiven Geschichten zu lesen.