Long Covid Recovery - Don't Believe the Hype - It's Not About Fear!

This week I dive into a controversial topic: the idea that recovering from Long Covid is all about getting over your fear. Turns out that is total nonsense and I break down why in this video! From the pathophysiology of PEM, why CBT and Graded Exposure won't work for us, to how we really cue our Autonomic Nervous System for safety. Its all there for you. Enjoy!
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NOT WHERE YOU WANT TO BE IN YOUR RECOVERY? MY NEW E-COURSE RECOVER: POLYVAGAL STRATEGIES TO CALM YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM FOR LONG COVID RECOVERY MAY BE JUST WHAT YOU NEED!
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REMINDER: The information provided in this video is for educational and informational purposes only, and should not be construed as medical advice. Make sure to do your own research and consult with trusted healthcare professionals before making any decisions about what may be right for you.

[@ark194]

Hugs. I am also a March 2020 survivor, and once trained for a half ironman. I do what I can and I am also a little more husky. I am glad that I found you. It is NOT about fear at all. I just am getting over covid after a paxlovid rebound...I was sick late August and now again. I did not know where I got it but ir is really awful to hear that even masked ppl may be getting sick. I sadly get reinfected a lot and I do get set back 6 months. Still masking for sure. I do feel safe with it.

[@sallyriggs465]

So sorry to hear about your set back! Hugs to you too!

[@selinawright7622]

Thank you!!!! You make SO much sence!!! It's refreshing!! I never did totally by into the Brain Training stuff!! I really enjoyed this podcast! Thank you 😊

[@sallyriggs465]

So glad it was helpful!!

[@jessicajoy8751]

yes please for another vid on best practices to avoid another infection

[@sallyriggs465]

You got it! kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5O5m6ynjbCfqrMsi=bUmpCeygtym08Q41

[@kathyforeman5603]

Thank you so much Sally for this video. I have been following people on you tube that apparently have fully recovered. I am 22 months in with long covid now. My first covid infection was in January 2021. In April I was diagnosed with Long covid. I had just started feeling a little better and got covid the second time in August 2021. I was wearing a mask the very odd times that I had to go out. Was almost as sick as the first time with covid, which for me was horrible and lasted over 2 weeks, but was not hospitalized, thankfully. I am much better than I was at my worst but am still not able to go out for a walk, go shopping, unless it is in and out. I am not able to do housework but can cook now, very basic meals and do laundry, take showers...just the absolute basics. I have been so upset the last 2 days because I am doing everything that I am supposed to be doing according to these people that I have been following and it always ends up that I feel awful and crash the next day. I am trying so hard and getting nowhere but frustrated and feeling like I'm doing something wrong. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for this video. I just want my life back, like everyone else and I feel so relieved to know that I am not alone in my thoughts and frustration. I have been meditating for almost a year and that has helped me tremendously and I was also doing breathing exercises and now am no longer needing an inhaler. So progress is being made but it is so very slow. I am happy with any progress at all. Do you think it is just time that makes us able to do a but more and give less symptoms? PEM for me now has not brought back my heart palpitations or my breathlessness for about 3 months, thankfully! All of the rest of it is there, though. Chest pain, muscle pain and weakness, sore throat and congestion and crushing fatigue!! Thank you again for talking about the medical side...I thought these were all just theories...I did not know that they had actually been confirmed in long covid patients. Sending you huge hugs from Canada❤😊

[@sallyriggs465]

So glad that it was helpful Kathy! I don't think its just time... What really helped me and is the focus of the work I do with my clients is calming your nervous system. Our vagus nerve is damaged (check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a16TgmeZaqmDg7csi=OXW41uAqyc3Ygn2n) and until we can heal it immune function in our bodies is enormously compromised. Sending hugs back!

[@ShellyBomb]

I got COVID for the second time in late August 2023! Shocked that it was worse than the 1st time in September 2021 ... I am four weeks in, and, what remains is fatigue + my legs being shaky! I am so over this whole illness ❤️‍🩹

[@sallyriggs465]

How are you feeling now Shelly? Hopefully much better 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤗

[@ShellyBomb]

@@sallyriggs465 Happy Easter (Saturday) Sally 🐰 🐣 💐 ~ So thoughtful of you to inquire. I am doing better; except I developed Hyperthyroidism from COVID or Long COVID - which I'm still navigating. I definitely don't feel completely like my former self (say, back in August of 2023). However, I started taking a low dose of Methimazole (5 mg) about a month ago - I'm not a huge proponent of taking medication for the long-term, but, of course, needed to follow my doctor's orders. However, I think it's helping a bit - though, I still have the tendency to have shakey legs (but thankfully not as bad!), and, my hand strength isn't as strong. Yet, all in all I am grateful to be better, and, hope to feel like my old (former) self sooner rather than later. Hope you continue to improve, as well. Healthy hugs, Michelle ❤️‍🩹

[@floydorbital2440]

Thank you. I really needed to hear this.

[@sallyriggs465]

More than welcome!! So glad it helped!

[@marcelguldemond2523]

Thank you for this, just for validating my anxiety about reinfections. No one around me understands it, not my wife, my therapist or the brain retraining coach. (I had gradual onset MECFS in 2020, then added LC in 2022 with the booster vaccine.) I Had a fully debilitating crash in October 2022, got covid in feb 2023, but started recovering with brain retraining. Got covid again in April, and this time it set me back for at least a couple of months. Then I caught it again in august and this time it hit me pretty hard, and it has set me back to square one. Sorry for the long response. My therapist wants me to go out and socialize more, but I want to be a hermit for another 6 months in the hopes of recovering substantially. She used the analogy of how we get in our cars everyday even though theiyre not perfectly safe, but that’s not a good analogy. If we got into serious car crashes 3-4 times per year like we can catch covid we’d never get in a car again. My analogy is that covid is like a bear in the forest nearby, you can hear it moving around. Being anxious about a bear nearby is perfectly valid.

[@marcelguldemond2523]

On the other hand, I think we’ll designed brain training programs are important for recovering from MECFS, where the vicious cycle of symptom thoughts helps to perpetuate the illness. In this case our minds generate a lot of fear and anxiety over things that aren’t threatening, so it helps a lot to be able to break that vicious cycle.

[@sallyriggs465]

You are more than welcome! I am all for not being fearful of benign things but yes covid is not like getting in a car. I am so sorry your therapist doesn’t get it. Most don’t. That’s definitely why I make these videos and do the work that I do because supporting our community and having an LC community is so important 🤗

[@eghie]

You speak of what I thought from the beginning, when it all started with PEM, there was no fear, since you where not used to get any PEM at all, so the first time there was no fear at all, but still physical reactions. What I currently do to tackle PEM, is using pycnogenol 100mg just before training. Keeps me from getting PEM and allowing me to train. I recently had a VO2 max cycling test. Results where: stamina (very bad) 34 vo2max for a men mid 30. Normal course would be 1,5 years recovery time for paced exercise, but with pycnogenol I at least can train harder and hope for faster recovery. I'm also very keen to learn how to recover from the mitochondria issues. I'm also in the process of correcting a thiamine deficiency, which can be part of this.

[@sallyriggs465]

thanks so much for sharing! I can't speak to medical interventions specifically as I'm not a physician although I would say still be careful with training under medication or supplements. I know with propanolol and similar meds folks have still experienced crashes because their articifically lowered HR made it that their metrics didn't look like they were about to crash (but the cellular level oxygen exchange deficiency is still there and hence PEM days later.)

[@eghie]

​@@sallyriggs465 Thanks for sharing your perspective on that. Didn't think of such scenario yet though.

[@Tupac4sure95]

PLEASE MORE INFORMATION ON MEMORY LOSS. I FEEL LIKE IM ON AUTO PILOT AND THE RINGING IN MY HEAD IS NONSTOP 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@sallyriggs465]

What specifically would you like to know about memory loss other than its very common with long covid?

[@Tupac4sure95]

WHATS BEING DONE TO REMEDY IT❓

[@sallyriggs465]

Forgive me, remedy what specifically..

[@Mansfield2375]

Thank you so much for clarifying whether the spike protein is still involved or not in the symptoms. Would you say that by now you’ve healed 100% to back how you were pre -covid with polyvagal work or still getting there.. thx 16 month long hauler and subscriber here.

[@sallyriggs465]

I’m about 95%! Full disclosure getting the course launched and my book finished has held me back a bit cos it’s hard to put your nervous system first when you have deadlines 😝 especially when your support team isn’t optimal. That’s all still a work in progress that I’m working hard on!

[@EvinFox]

Oh my gosh, I thought I was the only one saying the Emperor had no clothes on.

[@sallyriggs465]

Definitely not Evin!! 🤗

[@swyllie30]

I agree. It’s not about fear. It’s real. We are damaged. Great. But how do we get better?

[@sallyriggs465]

Watch all my other videos that give a lot of answers about the nervous system and polyvagal theory.

[@laurabone3228]

Stumbled into your channel. Just subscribed. Interested in hearing more from you. Because I'm in shock to hear a psychologist who is so educated on Long Covid, PEM and can debunk the nonsense being touted about how we can think ourselves well through any number of mechanisms. I think you may be crazy for going on a cruise....but I guess it's a good kind of crazy 🙂

[@sallyriggs465]

Haha thanks Laura 🤣

[@ark194]

no way in hell am I going on a cruise now...unless I could eat outside, etc.

[@sallyriggs465]

@@ark194 don’t worry I definitely ate on deck and also in my cabin. And in port I ate in local restaurants (also outside). Totally doable 😀 but I get it - cruise is high risk right now so if you do go gotta follow all the precautions I list here kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5O5m6ynjbCfqrMsi=yUfVV8q3b8px9PwF

[@ShellyBomb]

P.S. I got the COVID vaccines 💉💉 ... and, later a booster 💉 in December 2021. However, I didn't get an additional booster last year! I am really on the fence about getting a booster 💉 - which I wouldn't be able to get for three months post COVID anyway! Really questioning things at this point re another booster or skipping it again 🧐 ?!?

[@sallyweiner4180]

Thank you!!!

[@sallyriggs465]

More than welcome!

[@jamesvaughan4274]

Hi i work as a welder and i want to skip it every dsy but i need. To esrn once hkne i just crash every day

[@sallyriggs465]

Living with long covid is financially very tough. The reality is if you keep working a physical job you won’t ever have a chance of recovery 😞🤗 can your company give you accommodations or adjust your role? Legally we are protected by ADA so they have to try!!

[@johntharp6925]

Thank you.

[@sallyriggs465]

More than welcome John!

[@jessicanilsson2437]

Every years since 2006 i crash in februari! I wonder if it is because of nervous, my leg are week , the color be dark ! Sick since 2016

[@sallyriggs465]

So sorry to hear that 🤗

[@aprilgarnett55]

Thank you

[@sallyriggs465]

More than welcome!

[@user-pb7ee4tk3q]

Im enjoying your colors❤

[@sallyriggs465]

Thank you - I do love to wear colors that suit me 🤣

[@NuitAsdf]

Thank you so much for your wise words. For me wearing a mask is like looking no car is comming before I cross the street, or like using a helmet when I ride my bycicle. I don't do those out of fear, but because it's the smart thing to do. What I do fear is being the target of hostile people because they don't like me wearing a mask while minding my own business, but I wear it anyways.

[@sallyriggs465]

I love this analogy! I’m so sorry you have gotten hostile comments for wearing a mask. It definitely pings our nervous system when that happens! Where are you located? I have been surprised that locations I thought would be hostile (like Texas or Florida) have actually been super respectful. I get the most grief in the UK 🤦🏻‍♀️ and I try to remind myself that in that country government propaganda did a number on their ability to think clearly about masks and it’s not their fault 🤗

[@NuitAsdf]

@@sallyriggs465 I am located in central Europe. In the big city there are less people caring about what I do with my face than in a more rural area. In health facilities I heard the most comments, even if I was there because of what Corona did to my body 🙈 What I do is to remind myself that the ones feeling angry because they don't like me protecting myself won't come help me if I get worse. I read a bit about the plague in the 14th century, and it sometimes helps a bit to know that a lot of people in our days are making the exact same mistakes as a lot of people today.

[@davonervin]

Have to give the body props though.. it beat Covid. Took a beating but it did it.

[@sallyriggs465]

Absolutely- although I still 💯 respect how dangerous covid is and take precautions carefully, now I’m recovered sometimes I do find myself thinking “ok world you did your worst and I survived so take that”

[@jessicanilsson2437]

Do you have privat session ?

[@sallyriggs465]

I take two new individual clients a month for intensive coaching. You can apply to work with me on my website. There’s an “apply to work with Sally” button on every page.

[@dommccaffry3802]

So what do you do ????????

[@sallyriggs465]

Great question! Work on your autonomic nervous system so that your vagus nerve can work more efficiently (it mediates inflammation reduction and immune function)

[@denda2643]

Brillant mind there. Thx.:-)

[@sallyriggs465]

So glad you liked it!

[@mihakavcic7237]

Sally Sally are you sureit's a spike protein, i think is all about dopamine or dameged dopamine web... But I like you a lot , you know what are you talking about.🧐

[@sallyriggs465]

So I did preface this video by saying its a controversial topic, and as you know I am not a scientist on the cutting edge of LC research myself (only synthesizing what has been published/shared) but even if this were due to "damaged dopamine web" there's only one way that could have become damaged and thats through the spike protein... because that's the only thing that all of us with LC have in common. And personally I don't think my dopamine system is damaged... when my nervous system is working correctly I have no issues with motivation or reward or fear... But I do know that my ANS was damaged, and is still a work in progress some days (which is corroborated by early research that I discuss in this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/a16TgmeZaqmDg7csi=yo7NbicxVHQ9f-Ij).