Leaving ME/CFS Behind: How Irene Bryan Learned to Listen to Her Body

[@lizamaclochlainn2024]

Thanks!

[@RaelanAgle]

Much appreciated, Lisa! ❤️

[@nolamayer4101]

Lovely interview with Irene, Raelan. Really gives us “ long haulers”some hope and tips on moving forward knowing we have all the same fears and hurdles to jump . I think we have all suffered from others ignorance, lack of empathy and general rudeness, I never knew whether to laugh, cry or wrestle them to floor ( perhaps not, too much energy required 🤣), so having groups like this really is life saving. Many thanks and wishing Irene many beautiful walks 🌻🌻

[@birgitlilliehook5139]

I can so relate to what Irene says about dealing with negative (and ignorant!) reactions. It triggers the h-ll out of me when people say ”oh soon it will be spring and then you will feel better”. Or ”you should go outside three times a day, your legs need to get stronger”. !!?!!!🤬🤬

[@janswimwild]

As a 70 year old long term MECFS patient Irene’s story resonates. Thank you both for this lovely broadcast. The on and off, ups and downs from two years bed bound to occasional notes of energy. Still overdoing and crashing often, until I eventually embraced healing from C-PTSD and MECFS simultaneously finally understanding the mind body connection. Understanding that my series of illnesses from EDS to POTS, fibromyalgia and EBV to diagnosed MECFS over 25 years ago reflected my past traumas, overstresses and locked in FFF&F. When you have spent your life people pleasing, dissociating, trouble shooting and fixing exhaustion is a given, you’ve not kept anything back for yourself. Your body has to protect you from emotional overwhelm, pain and fear so it gifts you physical pain and fatigue to help with this. I am now deep in self care, building barriers, walking daily, cold water dipping throughout the year, weight training (since my 70th birthday in December) and devouring all I can find on Brain Training, currently hoovering Alan Gordon’s The Way Out, using Curable and generally attending to my needs. I am getting so much better! I’ve just had a minor crash after using up all my ‘spoons’ but for something worthwhile. I’m finding the balance, not panicking when I need to withdraw for a while, accepting that many things are not worth the cost but there are also some definitely are. Many of these resources I found through Bessel Van der Kalk, Pete Walker and Gabor Mate, John Sarno, my own therapist, Thich Nhat Hahn on meditation techniques and loving kindness, and resources I have found through your brilliant page Raelan! Thank you 🙏🏼 😊❤ It is never too late!

[@Truerealism747]

I have heds to it's comorbid with Asperger's diagnosed now 43 CFS 1997 since a fall fybromyalgia 6 years sure symptoms of CFS ultra perfectionist s suffer are you a lot better now what is ffff thanks

[@thedancingdivaofdaviestree2320]

@Truerealism747 Fight Flight Freeze and Fawn, also known as Fight/Flight and Freeze/Shutdown. These are normal healthy states we need to digest properly, or work hard, or run from a predator. Unfortunately, when they become 24/7 due to trauma or prolonged stress, they become harmful to mind and body. Somatic tracking and brain rewiring videos on KZbin help you change your state to Rest and Digest - so you'll digest better, sleep better, and release the stress hormones from your body. Best of luck! I had CFS/ME and fibromyalgia, plus lots of symptoms like IBS and recovered 80% - and hope to fully recover! These interviews are very inspiring, aren't they? Best of luck - you're in the right place to learn ways to heal!

[@catherineshepard4480]

What a wonderful woman. I am so happy she found Raelan and Jason.

[@HealwithLiz]

Wow, what an amazing interview! Irene is so inspiring! Love her reflections on learning boundaries (as a recovering reactive people pleaser type myself) and so inspired by her openness to a new modality and her wonderful spirit. Yes to leaving your phone in the living room when going to bed! So inspiring ladies!!! 💜💜💜

[@imunchienandalusia]

Thank you both , I'm entering my 50s and I've been wrestling with this b******* since my 30s so it's wonderful to hear from someone who turned it around after quite some time. I'd begun to think most of the success stories were younger people who got long covid, had a rough year or two then recovered.

[@ceciliamac4283]

Wishing you soon a full recovery 💫💜🫶🏼

[@imunchienandalusia]

@@ceciliamac4283thank you so much

[@Truerealism747]

Me to.17 now 43 now more fybromyalgia than cfs

[@thedancingdivaofdaviestree2320]

I had CFS/ME and fibromyalgia with all the "comorbid entities" like POTS and Interstitial Cystitis for 45 years and was housebound and bedridden for 20 years. Then I got off 5 medications including benzos and began to recover my health. You can't heal what you can't feel, and the meds had numbed and sedated my emotions. Like Irene, I learned to listen to my body, and began facing trauma and grief I'd long repressed. Journaling, various forms of meditation like Chi Gong and yoga (in my chair at first), then shaking and dancing all helped me hugely. I recovered 80% on my own and got my life back! Now I've discovered mind/body work and somatic tracking (which healed Long Covid symptoms and a runner's knee injury that hadn't healed), I hope to recover fully. But the view is still fabulous from here! I'm fitter, more active, and more creative at 70 than I was in my 30s and 40s! I live a rich full life. May we ALL recover fully! Warm wishes to all - especially the other long-timers.

[@Melted_Butter]

Jason’s brain training technique got me out of a very dark hole. I found it hard to maintain doing the technique over time and ended up stopping altogether and doing other things. It does take consistent work and needs to be fuelled by belief.

[@ICanThrive]

What a gift you both are, Raelan and Irene!! It is truly amazing and rewarding seeing what is possible when we focus on growing and changing for the better! ❤

[@friendswithfairies3278]

What an amazing lady! Irene is a big ray of sunshine! Great to hear her story.

[@jog5289]

Congratulations on your recovery, Irene! I can relate to getting fed-up with all the brain re-training talk on this Channel, because I didn't understand it at first either, but eventually saw that it made sense and am now doing a Program! I was never good at relaxing either, and then with this condition we are forced to keep still, but it took me years to realise even then I wasn't actually relaxing most of the time! Here's to all those still suffering that we'll recover soon!! 💛🧡💜

[@wildflower828]

Thank you realan for hosting this special lady , she really gave me lots of positive vibes,I will never lose hope in recovery. I'm from Morocco, it's rare when someone understand what fibromyalgia and Cfs are even doctor, luckily I found your channel and I truly think of it as a gift from god , thank you realan billions of times😊

[@Truerealism747]

To me fybromyalgia is a symptom.of CFS and pots have had got them all decades symptoms change

[@caitlianna]

Same for me. Switzerland it is not medically recognised, not a single doctor has known what it is and all have laughed at me. Care was significantly better in the UK. Let’s hope we can get out of this ❤

[@amysin963]

Loved this interview. Gives me so much hope!

[@legohouse4819]

I love you Irene!!! So strong and positive and funny. Loved this video. And Jason is amazing.

[@brendagold7832]

Thank you for this one!!! Such a lovely woman Irene!!! I am older and wondered if getting better was possible. Thank you for giving me hope!!

[@rachelstevenson9659]

so awesome to hear, especially after so long as I've had it at least all of my adult life

[@philweaver457]

This interview really touched me. I am so proud of Irene. And so many good reminders. Thank you to both of you.

[@AnneAlready]

Completely thrilled for Irene! Thanks so much to the both of you for sharing her story. Her regularly being awake until 2 am prior to her illness is similar to my experience....along with the over-achieving...etc.

[@lorikendall2213]

Another great interview‼️ i’m totally on the same page about not being able to relax, I’m such a doer and get things done and get things done well! So it’s one of the hardest things to just rest, and I never thought about that watching TV or being on my phone wasn’t resting🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️ Just laying on my bed and quiet though seems like such a waste of time in life‼️ especially when you don’t feel like it really fixes anything😫 And the part about getting frustrated with people that don’t understand. Oh my gosh it is so so so frustrating.‼️ I have basically lost my best friend because she’s so fed up with me counseling plans like I do it on purpose or something. She has no clue how hard it is to just lay here and miss out on fun while everybody else is doing and going and enjoying and living! I’m so grateful to have found this channel, and even though I don’t know these people just to read their comments and hear the testimonies helps me feel like I’m not alone, and other people understand🙌🏼 💓

[@RaelanAgle]

I hear you, Lori 🧡 It's rough right now, but you've got this, keep moving forward 🧡🧡

[@zennenn]

Irene, thank you so much for sharing your story. You're giving me hope.

[@RaelanAgle]

You've got this, Zennenn! 🧡 🧡

[@amberstehno2622]

I’m going to share my recovery story on your show someday!

[@RaelanAgle]

❤️ ❤️ ❤️

[@francescam.6999]

Your story is so relatable to me. I also recovered a little bit, but not totally. And then I also tried to get fit and strong through exercise, not knowing that it means burning the candle on both ends, wondering why I never felt fitter. Now I don't exercise at all, because I am still very active and feel so much stronger. I have less muscels, but feel fitter.

[@leaperrins8373]

Such a lovely interview! Amazing that recovery happened after all those years and some important points made about staying well. Good luck in your future Irene! :)

[@alicerees5134]

Thank you so much Raelan!! What a beautiful, wonderful woman Irene is, so much love and positivity to her ❤

[@alexandrecouture2462]

Thank you Irene and Raelan, very interesting interview!

[@MarinaMayCarstens]

Irene is a total inspiration!

[@rezzo7290]

thank you for sharing Irene and Raelyn!! ❤️❤️❤️

[@cinderling5472]

Lovely woman and interview, thank you Raelan! ❤🎉 I love how she was so enduring and tough when it came to recovering... And patient too As a long hauler myself, this gives me a lot of hope I'm currently at around 60-80%, have been tired since i was 17. 33 now Thank you again! And yes.. Relaxing is hard! 🤭 Happy healing everyone! Sending positive energy your way 💕💕

[@Truerealism747]

Have you got ADHD or autism.been tired all.my life CFS after a fall 17 now 43 fybromyalgia found out now I have heds genes for this awaiting to try ADHD meds

[@efi4930]

BEAUTIFUL 🌹 I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM IRENE HOW SHE WOULD COMUNICATE TO OTHERS, THE FACT THAT SHE WAS ABLE TO DO LONG WALKING EVERY MORNING BUT UNABLE TO DO ALMOST ANYTHING ELSE. I AM LIKE THAT MANY DAYS. FIND IT HARD TO EXPLAIN TO OTHERS AROUND ME...

[@liabell2175]

omg, I recognize so many of these patterns in myself! Having something set in my head and then doggedly going after that - even if my body says no, you need to change your plans, we're too tired! Or "I'm just not good at resting"... ahem... When I was more severely ill, I did the Gupta program and actually learned to use meditation to really deeply rest, and it helped! But as soon as my energy goes up, my resistance against real rest goes up as well, and I start pushing again. I wonder if part of my mind associates rest and a really healthy lifestyle with having CFS? And is then trying to prove that I don't need it anymore, because that means I'm well? Recovering has so many more (and different) hurdles than I thought...

[@sarahdean6441]

Oooo what a treat. ❤❤❤

[@nickywellman594]

Thank you Irene, well done this is an amazing story. This will be helpful for many❤ Thanks Raelan fantastic interview ❤

[@melanieaveryeasthope3980]

I’ve had ME since 1981

[@revelation12_1]

Time for new hope!

[@annettewilford7568]

Bless u

[@jewelleryaddict]

Same here 1985. Was so active then one day woke and it was here and never left. Had ups and downs thru the years but never good was all push nothing was easy, but last 10 yrs again mostly bed bound. At 70 hard to know what's age or illness. Menopause didn't help. .

[@annettewilford7568]

Me2 housebound . Only have short energy envelope

[@syfu-yd5zy]

Thank you so much for this great story❤

[@renaissance5300]

great show raelan and thank-you I also have lyme disease plus long covid It seems to me that all the people with lthis are go getters hard workers hard athletes no layabouts what has helped me is my artwork at first couldnt even paint now 3-4 hours aday

[@adrianamaniscalco381]

Hello everyone, first of all thank you Raelan for the videos and for the work you do. You give me hope every day. I have been suffering from long covid for 3 years, but given the symptoms I think it is more ME / CSF triggered by viral infection. I try to follow the advice in your videos but I just can't find the way to recovery..I am very young, I am 24 years old. Is anyone in the same condition as me? Thank you

[@LindaDeMambro]

Yes, but I am 58 years old. EBV and CFS triggered by Long Covid since 2020. I’m a bit confused about how many different programs there are… And who to contact. I had to leave my job so I don’t have the money to pay for a program.

[@heatherengland-kerr]

Who is Jason? I can’t seem to find a reference in the comments or the notes, thanks

[@lynb87]

Good one.

[@finnroohomebrewing]

Brilliant 😎👍

[@annettewilford7568]

Hey irene id luv to get in touch long term sufferer and recently again bed n housebound again 😢 maybe Covid-19 related but not sure... not vaccinsted but was harmed by flu jab triggering a whole other list of further chronic illness and cancer but m.e yuppie flu is ongoin 😢

[@ronjakh]

please don’t call it “yuppie flu”. that’s so insensitive, damaging and condescending. It completely discredits all of us who have been struggling for years and decades. ME is NOT yuppie flu.

[@LaurelBaum-x6x]

Retraining your immunec response by giving deliberate mindful biofeedback ...my understanding in a nutshell for what its worth.

[@kristynrendl1619]

♥️♥️♥️

[@germanside7890]

[@ramonaflorica5351]

With all my respect...I truly don't understand when you guys are saying "...is fully recovered"...or" is not in our brain"... But in the same time people actually don't fully recover ,because they still can't do to much,like a health person and that they became really better all because of brain retraining. It does not actually mean that is all in our head???....I am truly, really confuse. Because I try so much all I can hear in your videos and all .... but still I'm struggling too much. I would really like an answer, please.

[@annettewilford7568]

Me too

[@PeaceIsJesusChrist]

@Ramona, brain retraining addresses the nervous system-the subconscious brain. You can be positive and at peace, but if your central nervous system is stuck in fight or flight, your body cannot heal. ❤

[@jewelleryaddict]

Well still is no absolute cause or cure. No tests prove have it or not we just go by what we say our symptoms are. Untill they can prove without doubt we all have It hard to say who does or not. So how can we say someone is cured or better? It's a thing of ups and downs. Maybe this is just another up for her so don't be dismayed. I have struggled 30 years. She just learned how to cope. We all do.

[@jewelleryaddict]

After 30 hard years of this and a degree in health education I have tried it all. I even have a study published. I have found you can't wish this away, pray it away or think it away. It has ups and downs thru time and you think your better and for awhile you are. But the virus is still lurking in the body and until it's gone your really not "healthy" yet. My best to all who wrestle every day with this monster from hell. Hope today is a good day for you.

[@francescam.6999]

The best thing to understand it, is to try it out and see the change. And you can notice small changes very quickly. The big change, to recover fully, takes some time. I just tested a form of brainretraining one evening. It was just responding to the symptoms as neutral as I could. And they went away. Came back and went away. Over three hours. This was so amazing. Because I had so many symptoms this evening. The weeks before my symptoms would have gone worse and worse and I would have been sick and bedbound the next morning with fluelike symptoms. And this time I was fine the other day. Sometimes it is0 easier to try it. The understanding comes through experiencing it.

[@Fiawordweaver]

I wanted to see someone closer to my age, 71 that has this journey. I have watched so many different interviewers with different programs grasping for answers. JOURNEY 71 I have not been diagnosed with CFS 3 years ago -I started weaning from 2mg of klonopin, benzodiazepine (Currently at .5mg) I thought that caused me to become bedridden -I also had my 4th Moderna vaccine. I thought, no it’s not the weaning it’s 4th vaccine - my hypothyroidism hashimotos lost medication management. I concluded that that the 4th vaccine upset my autoimmune immune response. - diagnosed with exercise induced Severe asthma No pulmonologist, endocrinologist, primary, cardiologist considered my problem solving deductions to why I became chronically fatigued. - I had a craniotomy in 2018 that stirred up PTSD -paternal molestation and maternal narcissistic abuse , that I buried because my family normalized it and I was the villain. - I left a physical and emotional abusive marriage in my 30’s to raise my children from toddler age. I went to college as a single parent in CA far from my family in IL. - I have always put others before me - I have always been hyper vigilant from a small child not to anger my mother. She was always angry. So I am looking for relief and answers

[@lucyilly428]

I’m also in Surrey. I went to Box Hill a while ago with a friend in the car. That hill is like the real hills in the north of England. Walking up there is some achievement. ⛰️

[@JacquiQ]

you've gone to the dark side Raelan 🤣 Amazing story ...HOPE 🤎🤎🤎for us all