Thanks for the videos and book

You’re right! The nervous system is behind it all. I can recommend others with long or post covid to check out Nicole Sachs She has lots of podcasts on long Covid and nervous system disregulation as well

This protocol has left me with severe nervedamage in both of my ears, Eustachian Tube Dysfunction, Tinnitus, Vertigo and chronic ear pain that I still battle 18 months after taking the protocol. Although I EXPLICITELY asked if the SSP has any sideeffects, I was lied to that there are none. I was also gaslit and lied to that all of my symptoms were just signs of my "nervous system finally coming back into balance" and that they would subside in a couple of days. Which never happened. After that I was let down by my provider, received no help/support whatsoever and had to figure all of these symptoms out of my own. I posted my issues and my questions about the symptoms on several Polyvagal/SSP-forums and got emails from providers trying to silence me. My physician and audiologist were shocked when I told them what had happened to my ears and I continue to experience all of these symptoms 24/7 until today. Before taking the protocol I was in perfect health, not traumatized, had no mental health issues whatsoever. After taking the protocol I continue to face all of these health challenges (not to mention the mental and emotional toll and the severe loss in quality of life I am facing) on a daily basis. PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THIS PROTOCOL! Inform yourself and read all the other stories on Reddit from people who also experienced side-effects that they were not warned about. Protect your health and try another form of therapy.

First time here got infected January of 2023 got diagnosed with bacterial infection in my throat gave me antibiotics idk if they worked but as of august 2024 I started waking up again with dry throat and breathing problems and I feel like I’m being gaslit because they keep telling me changing seasons and weather but I’m in Texas have been since age 15 but I was fairly healthy before getting Covid and I hate my sleep being messed with haven’t had any decent since 2021 what do you think about the dry throat and waking out of your sleep thing ?

Hope that you are feeling better 🙏🏽

So you had long covid and made a full recovery?

Dr. Riggs , are you still experiencing Long Covid or you have been fully recovered ❤🙏🏽

I have been blessed to still never get Covid because I don’t be exposed by lots of different people on a daily basis and I also work and live alone and take precaution while going out in public and I don’t be in close contact and keep my hands aways from my face and mouth at all times 😷

Any idea what famotodine does exactly to help LC? I thought I was having some side effects to it so I stopped taking it.

Thank you for this information it is very valuable. Every time I try to relax or go to sleep I get these jolts of electric making my neck or stomach muscles twitch. It also happens when I get startled by a loud sound or when I get stressed out. I then have to 'crack' my neck to relax. I have had a feeling that this is connected to the vagus nerve. I have also had a nasty bike crash and got a fracture in the neck so that is definitely also part of the puzzle.

AWARD for the best-ever "watch to the end" rationale. (Likely also true: but, clever!)

I just got Covid and haven't slept in 3 days. I've had sleep issues in the past but have never gone 3 days without sleep. I tried Ambien which has worked in the past but it didn't work for me this time around. I also heard Ambien has been linked to dementia?

long covid for a year now. Brain fog, difficulty sleeping, GI problems, etc. Finally got into a long covid neurologist. I am now being ruled out for Lewy Body Dementia. (and by the way the neurology department can't get me back in for more testing for 5 months. Long Covid was bad enough but now this. Having trouble coping.

wow these are things i have never heard anyone talk about because most of the other coaches in this sphere are NOT also therapists! (fellow therapist here).i have been telling myself oh i just need to push mhself and expose myself but it does NOT get better if i just try to do it anway and push through fear because it is really so much dysregulation.

oh no i just found you and this makes me sad but also happy that you are walking the talk! putting you first! do you still stand by everything you have put on here? <3 or have your views on recovery changed? thank you for giving a different narrative to all of the LC world.

i cant even tell you how appreciative i am of this perspective!!! for so long i have felt like there is something wrong with me bc it didnt work for me.

Facts

Treatment? What treatment is available? Listening to music & sleeping? Hmmm - Cheers!

Yes music can amp you up too but I always thought it was somatic. Psychosomatic. Excellent explanation!

We call it orthostatic blood pressure. Thank you.

Guess what. More Covid patients. It’s starting all over again.

I’m from Connecticut and I have long COVID. Do you have any recommendations? Thank you so much.

Same/ similar as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ ME

Sally, have you ever had relapses where your nervous system get reset back to having constant fight or flight? I fully recovered for a year. Relapsed from food poisoning, I was 8 months in at about 80% recovered, I thought I was past this intense fight or flight stage but I ended up having two bad relapses in the past 3 months. One time seemed to be from from quitting cannabis and the other, two weeks ago, was from taking a probiotic...I've been housebound for 3 months, I'm so scared. Any tips?

How do I book a call with you?

I'm I going to get better from this

Thank you 👍

Awesome site!

Wow - thank you for explaining why I've gotten nowhere with brain retraining. I've tried 3 different programs during the past 7 years and could not do the visualizations AT ALL. Now I know why - it's not because I'm a loser, failure, or in "limbic resistance." What I need is the bottom up ANS work - THEN reinforce rest and digest by creating new neural pathways with limbic training.

Just found you! Oh my goodness! You are amazing!

I becoming more convinced the covid vaccines have wrecked my gut.... it was sick with each vaccine shot. My GP vaguely suggested my vagus nerve wasn't functioning properly and that my digestive system was hyper sensitive. I developed Fodmap Intolerance, severe stress, fatigue and lack of motivation. Prior to, I had no problems. I have started doing vagus nerve exercises and also use tens on my ears..... I'm starting to feel a slight improvement. I will be refusing the vaccine in the future.

Sally, since you know so many people with long covid, could you please give your opinion upon my symptoms? I hope you don't mind me asking and I know you are not a doctor, but my doctor said she thinks I don't have long covid because my fatigue and PEM symptoms increased more slowly. I became sick with covid in October 22. I was super sick and dizzy. The dizzyness did not fade out and in February 23 I had really bad vertigo that lasted for weeks. My doctor diagnosed me with vestibular neuritis (an inner ear infection). I have gradually become more tired and less able to do things. I never really recovered. Most days I can do light chores and leave my house for a while, but that's about it. Sometimes I wonder if I suffer from chronic fatigue. I'm still completely unable to work. Intense fatigue is my main issue, next to dizzyness. I'm trying to think positive but I also do panic at moments when I feel so out of control tired. Yesterday I was feeling very fatigued and anxious about it but I pushed myself to see my family and I noticed my symptoms faded to the background. I'm just so insecure about what is happening to me and why I'm feeling this way. I am visiting a psychiatrist too and she seems to think I don't have PEM and I'm simply avoiding too much, wich annoyed me because I do try to do activities and ended up in bed for days because I was so exhausted from it. Where I live there is no care for people with long covid, only occupational therapy.

What is a person supposed to do? When someone has had this issue for decades and can't work how are they supposed to heal if the cost of this is 1000's. Why even share that this is out there to help if its not affordable for the people affected.

I really appreciate how you speak so calm as I feel quite overwhelmed and things often go to quickly arround me. Thanks so much for the good video.

My psychiatrist thinks I suffered from a lot of stress leading up to covid. I think so too, several severe health problems, being left by my ex, felt really betrayed by my former best friend, struggled financially. When I got covid I did an internship at a very demanding place. Sometimes I wonder if it was the stress that made me sick like this.

If I try to do things, it just wipes me out. I did notice I was very stressed about my symptoms before the fatigue came again. I'm thinking maybe that is the way for me, calm down, before I can get back into the world? What are your thoughts on this? I really appreciate all your videos, it's a difficult journey to go through.

After mild covid , started experiencing below symptoms - severe anxiety, debilitating insomnia , frequent panic attacks made me stay closer to the bed for most of my day time, its irony that even when i could not sleep during nights , daytime sleep evaded me, along with few more symptoms like swallowing food , completing small amount of lunch used to take more than an hour , simply bathing after 15 days used to give me palpitations, even if I tried to go out I started filling sensitive to normal wind and gave palpitations , medicines helped me in majority of my ongoing recovery, CBT later on helped , So I think it depends on level of symptoms and I still feel when I was in abyss medicines armed me to fight against formidable foe

Wow everything you said really hit home hard. I had just fixed my sleeping schedule when covid hit me and it has been terrible since. By now I get atleast 5 to 6 hours of sleep at the very least but often at completely ungodly times. One thing that also helped me some nights was taking a shower before going to bed. I normally shower in the morning but if I lie in bed for hours unable to fall asleep the last thing I wanted is to be uncomfortable. I think it also helped with getting in that fight or flight setting some nights but that could just be projection.

The turn to app has been invaluable as a resource for me

My daughter has sensory processing disorder, and still doesnt talk. She is 3 years old, do you think it may work for her? How will i know if she is unconfortable if she doesnt talk?

People have moved on. It is hard enough getting family to watch out for us. It is truly sad.

In 2020 when everyone was getting Covid, I was hospitalized with pneumonia and sepsis for 6 weeks, intubated for 6 days and nearly died the first night. The doctors were convinced it was Covid, I was kept in the Covid ward, and everybody put on PPE when they came in my room but I just kept testing negative for Covid over and over. I've probably had 24 covid tests in the last 4 years. I made what seemed like a full recovery with home health care for a month after release and went back to work. Then, about 2 years later I started having symptoms that were all over the place. To this day, my cardiologist insists that I had Covid and that this is long covid. It is so frustrating not knowing what's wrong with you. The latest suggestion I've gotten from a neurologist is dysautonomia and POTS. I feel like I have a small case of the flu every single day of my life.

I got covid from a gym where people were going in sick and coughing on everything. It’s infuriating how many people go to the gym while ill.

I'm sick and I think it's covid. Not bad because I'm immunized, but I won't go out!!

Thank you so much!!!!! 💜

Never had issues with insomnia til after covid. One occasion I did not sleep for 40 hours then another point I stayed away for 30 hours then slept for 2.

Is this TMS?

Hi, the therapist recommended that my son (3.5 years old) listen to SSP core every day for 15 minutes for 20 days in a row at home on headphones. I have a lot of concerns, isn't it too fast? Isn't he too young for this? I've read about the terrible side effects, if he experiences them he won't even be able to explain them to me. I don't know what to do anymore