Recovery Road Community Forum:
Connect, Share, and Heal Together

Hi guys, just looking for some tips. I’m Craig, I’m 32, a charity director and live in south west Scotland. I had the most amazing life until June 2024 when I got Covid and things haven’t been the same since. I got a handle on the mind body stuff quickly (because those were the people that recovered) and did the Lightning Process in Oct 2024. I struggled with it and albeit the principles made sense, I struggled to get any outcome when putting it in to practice. That winter things improved a bit, and then the summer was awful. I have pots and MCAS and seemed to be completely intolerant to the heat or sun, which I previously loved. Weird neuro symptoms, twitches, limb weakness, dissociation, face rash, fevers, fatigue, headaches, overstimulation, and felt like the mast cells were eating all my muscle mass! All the fun stuff. Towards the end of 2025 I then improved a bit again, then got flu on 29th Dec and everything came back. I’ve also had 6 courses of antibiotics for an infected hair follicle which I await surgery for. It’s been a grim time. I’m supported by a psychologist in our local long Covid service and she is wonderful.

I’m fully invested in the mind body approach, but struggle to implement it fully while working. Symptoms are almost constant, and I just spend my days soothing myself, trying not to react, and thanking my brain for the message. And then I try to keep going. Work is busy but have put in place things to help, like more working from home.

there is a fear inside me that this could get worse, or that I’m vulnerable, both to other things and recurrent viruses.

so, I’m just looking for a wee bit of hope, and some tips to navigate my way out of this.

thanks!

Craig

Hi,

Just wondering what other people find the most helpful for rapid stress relief? Like when you have a difficult meeting or a conversation that sends your stress level right up..

I like alternate nostril breathing as it forces me to slow down and gives me a moment to look inward, but I love to try new things so keen to hear what other people find the most helpful?

Love and gratitude,

Eve

Living with a chronic illness can feel like an uphill battle, and some days are really hard!

Research shows us that small, intentional steps can really make a big difference in how we feel. For example, practicing gratitude, even noticing one positive thing each day has been linked to lower stress and better mood, even when dealing with chronic illness.

What small step could you take today to help boost your mood and health?

One of my recovery path new habits is telling my partner 3 things I am grateful for and one thing I am proud of myself for at the end of each day. It is wild what a difference it makes.

Has anyone else got any good tips on this?

Eve 💚

Hi all,

I would love to hear about others' experiences of what helps you with PMS.

I found a very surprising and life-changing improvement in PMS symptoms with brain retraining and nervous system regulation.

I used to be crying in agony and feel so low for at least 2 weeks before, now I have 1-2 days of feeling a bit uncomfortable. I have also changed a lot of aspects of my life, so would love to hear what others feel has helped or not helped.

• Do you have or did you used to have awful PMS or PMDD?

• What have you found that helps the most?

• If you have made lasting change to your symptoms, tell me more!

Sending love to everyone here,

Eve 💚

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to share a reminder that helped me so much and continues to add value to my life:

Healing isn’t a straight line, and progress doesn’t always look like big leaps, sometimes it’s just choosing not to give up today.

If you’re in a rough situation right now, please remember these facts:

• You’ve survived 100% of your hardest days so far.

• You’re allowed to rest without quitting.

• You’re allowed to feel overwhelmed and still move forward.

• You’re allowed to take tiny steps, they still count and are valuable.

Recovery can feel slow, frustrating, or even invisible at times. But every moment you choose compassion over criticism, connection over isolation, and hope over fear… that’s progress. And it matters.

None of us are walking this road alone. This community exists because we all understand what it’s like to rebuild ourselves piece by piece. So if you’re struggling, speak up. If you’re doing well today, celebrate it. And if you’re somewhere in the messy middle, you’re in good company.

Keep going. You are worth the effort your healing requires.

We believe in you, even on the days you’re not sure you believe in yourself.

Sending strength and love to everyone here.

Eve 💚

Hello lovely people!

On Friday, I had an amazing chat with Matt, who fully healed himself from long covid using a range of mind-body techniques.

He has gone from being unable to get up a flight of stairs or leave the house to fully living life again!

Matt is a parent of 3 young children, an outdoor and very active person, a teacher, a breathwork facilitator and a truly interesting person.

He has made an amazing recovery and I know that you can too

We will be sharing his interview about his full recovery journey soon, but I didn't want you to wait to hear another story of hope 💚

Love and gratitude,

Eve 💚

Hey everyone,

Since it’s Pain Awareness Month, I wanted to share something that’s been really eye-opening for me in my chronic pain journey: the mind-body connection.

I know that phrase can feel really tricky - it did to me! It doesn’t mean the pain is “all in your head.” Chronic pain is 100% real. The brain and body are sending signals to each other saying "PAAIINN".

The nervous system (the road that carries the signals) gets stuck in “alarm mode.” That alarm keeps going off even when our bodies aren’t in danger anymore.

Think of it like a smoke detector that’s become too sensitive. It still goes off when you cook bacon, even though there’s no fire. The pain signals are real, but they’re not always a sign of permanent damage.

The bit I really LOVE is that just like a smoke detector can be reset, our nervous system can learn to quiet down too. Things like gentle movement, calming breathing, journaling, or even just learning how pain works can help turn the volume down over time. There is more research than ever, proving this hopeful point!

For me, this idea gave me a sense of hope. Instead of feeling like pain was completely out of my hands, I started to see small ways I could help my body and brain feel safer. And little by little, that made a massive difference. Now I am in no pain on a daily basis. If I hurt myself (like accidentally whacking my elbow on a door), I feel more in control of the pain. The skills I have learnt through brain retraining still apply!

This month feels like a good time to remind ourselves: the pain is real, but so is the possibility of change. Noone is broken, and there are ways forward :)

I’m curious, has anyone else tried mind-body approaches, and what has your experience been like?

Mondays need more motivation in my eyes!

These post it notes are some of my personal Jar of Joy/Wins from my recovery process last year.

Bear in mind often these little wins might be the only thing I could do in a day and I often rested for a long time before and after.

Changing my focus to celebration and pride for my progress, rather than focusing on what I couldn’t do was such a game changer.

What are you proud of yourself for this week?

💚💚💚

is it worth the waiting list to get an ADHD diagnosis on the NHS,

I'm not sure if I would take the medication anyway. Has anyone got any experience of the diagnosis process or the drugs that you're offered and the effects?

thanks in advance x

Hello,

I realised I had anxiety when I was much younger, perhaps around the age of 15. At the time it was quite an intense feeling, almost like a physical pain. Now I think I still have anxiety but it's not he same feeling anymore. Kinda like more a numbness and disconnection around people. Is this anxiety?

Thanks

---

EDIT: Title should say 'symptoms' not systems