Triumph Over ME/CFS: Clare Caldwell's Full Recovery

[@monkeybearmax]

You can tell Clare genuinely cares about her clients! ❤

[@ClareCaldwell-ef2pl]

I know what it feels like to have symptoms and not be helped or sometimes even believed. At The MBR we work as a group to be the best we can be to help as many as possible to help themselves recover. We have all had symptoms and recovered. Once we have the right knowledge and guidance we can recover and live a full life. It was awesome to get my life back and I feel the same for everyone who recovers.

[@spruceysarah]

Yes *please* have Clare back! A wonderful interview (though the fidelity on Clare's mic sounded a little low to me, and it was hard to make out everything she said) and I learned a lot.

[@lynnlasak4089]

Agreed

[@madamem9923]

yes it was hard to Clare

[@ClareCaldwell-ef2pl]

I am happy to come back and share more knowledge. We have to work together to overcome this awful set of symptoms.

[@ClareCaldwell-ef2pl]

I will use a different microphone next time

[@ManifestingItAll]

I could hear Clare just fine. I’m not sure why other people couldn’t.

[@khatijakay4107]

Pretty surprised at the negative comments. We all need to find our own route of what works for us but as you heal you realise how much emotions impact this journey. You can’t always see it in the midst of anguish

[@RaelanAgle]

So true! Thanks for pointing this out, Khatija! ❤️

[@daisytoromanzano8865]

@@RaelanAgle I agree partially. There situations like having severe scoliosis, bulge disk after car accident, celiac disease, using crsp tech and m R n a ge ne therapy( labeled wrongly as a v a c yne) will caused permanent eneric alterations that is different from mutations. That rhis type of solution here will not give full recovery. Emotions affects our hormones , etc. But not willing to forgive others or not willing to accept when we hurt others and ask for forgiveness, both will create chemical changes that will created havoc in our health( mental and physical ) . Covid rules really brought out what is really hidden in many people’s heart, lack of empathy, the typical nazi response but I was just following orders( how in the world someone could even think to yelled, shame a costumer for not wearing a m sk when that person is in wheel chair with an oxygen tank, with probably many breathing conditions, to not allow families to go hiking to federal parks that would it help people stay healthy by exercising, getting fresh air, sun( crucial for keeping vit d correct leves that helps to keep a strong inmune system). They knew all that was going to cause more stress, feeling hopeless, angry, depressed and that was going to make more people’s inmune systems so weak and then after damage was done from long staying home then requiring to go to work back in person for many causing them to get sick faster).

[@vaniafrankhealer]

This is a beautiful interview. Thank you Raelan for bringing so much light to this experience and to this method. And thank you Clare for sharing your story and more about how to better support ourselves. I also want to note for anyone listening that it's not that we're not listening to ourselves purposely. It's that many of us weren't taught to listen to ourselves. We may not have been attuned to in this way, and most likely our parents weren't either. And, we may have had experiences in life that really take over that we need to attend and attune to that further magnify our need to learn how to listen to ourselves. I have a lot of compassion for anyone, myself included, who is learning this skill in adulthood when responsibilities have piled on and we're learning about ourselves simultaneously. Perhaps this is much of humanity 💜

[@marybyrd4196]

I listened to this interview and the two interviews with Helen Kneebone today. Helpful, hopeful, and encouraging! Thank you, Raelan, and Clare, both of you, for sharing your wisdom and experience.

[@tessreynolds6356]

Thankyou Clare....I'm 16 months Long covid, it's been a rough journey being separated from family and life. The emotions are so tough and lonely. I'm just trying to work out which path to take to heal.

[@loveishappiness7330]

Medical Medium book, you would find helpful

[@sarahdean6441]

Brilliant. This has given me real hope after 11 years of being housebound and really sick and trying many therapies. I dreamt I was walking and jogging last night!!! This interview has come at the same time as a book called Whole again Jackson MacKenzie. It feels like a new start. Thank you x

[@ClareCaldwell-ef2pl]

That is such a long time to have symptoms! I will never forget the day I went for a walk in the park and realised I no longer had symptoms and could walk as far as I wanted at a normal pace. I don’t think I have ever been as happy. We are told we can’t recover but that is only because of a lack of understanding of symptoms and how to respond to them.

[@samanthahart2054]

Wow that must have been so amazing and thanks for sharing your story it's really helpful. Did it take ages to rebuild your fitness or is the lengthy time to recover aching exhausted muscles after exercise a symptom? I am trying to gently build my fitness with gentle walks but after a few minutes leg exercises it took my legs almost 2 weeks to stop hurting and I am not sure if it's just as am so unfit or a symptom still?

[@alicequayle4625]

​@@samanthahart2054 I did the Fern Programme and they said start very gently and build up gradually. But a bit of aching is normal. But making sure you have enough electrolytes like Epsom salt baths can help too.

[@ClareCaldwell-ef2pl]

@@samanthahart2054 thank you. It is wonderful that you have come so far on your own journey. It didn’t take me long to get fit again, even though I had been so immobile. The reason is that even though we are doing so little our muscles are still working away in readiness to jump into action as part of the fight or flight response, so they do not need as much building up as if we were immobile from an injury for example. All those years I never lost muscle mass. The reality of this was brought home to me this year. I fell whilst hill walking in February and broke both the main weight bearing bones in my leg. I was unable to put any weight of my leg for 11 weeks. In that time my leg muscles just disappeared. I am now on the long process of rehab to build up the muscles again. I am told it will be a few months yet. I also remember working with a beautiful woman who was completely wheelchair bound and had carers to use a hoist to move her from bed to chair. She had been like that for 14 years but still had muscles in her legs. So I would say you are still experiencing some symptoms which is in effect diverting some of your energy to keep your muscles in the fight or flight response.

[@melindabrown9718]

@@samanthahart2054That's totally normal! I found the same thing. I'd take so long to recover. I pulled back on exercises and started walking instead. I always napped after, had long magnesium baths, stretched and massage gun. But I did these things with the mindset that I wanted too. Not because I had to or I'd get worse. It's taken me about a year of trial and error with setbacks - like getting sick and not being able to exercise, then feeling like I was starting again. Now I walk 10k steps a day and do reformer Pilates x2 a week. Tomorrow I will try introduce my first weights session. Some of it is definitely just being unfit. I'm 90% recovered now after being housebound. I'm a carer for my autistic son and have no family support. I have ADHD and CPTSD. I still managed to be pretty much recovered. So you can do it too ❤

[@benxamin13]

Yes! Bring Claire back!

[@MECFSExplored]

Big fan of Claire and her work. Great interview Raelan and Claire!

[@loveishappiness7330]

Yes please have Claire back and share some experiential work with her, that would be great.

[@MB-cf4uk]

Yes! I would love to hear more from Clare about some specific things we can do to try out her method.

[@RaelanAgle]

Noted!

[@zillahdiamond2610]

This was so valuable. A transcript would be lovely

[@juliebryan4647]

I have found this so interesting as I'm an emotional person anyway. It makes sense that I need to reconnect my emotional side and also need to learn to say no which I find so hard. I don't know if my cfs/me was caused by carers burnout, long covid or trauma as they all happened within months of each other. Thank you so much Raelan and Clare ❤

[@kayoss2306]

I think often the trauma and stressful life circumstances are what make us vulnerable - the stress depletes us physically and weakens the immune system, our nervous systems get stuck in fight or flight. Then a virus like the flu, EBV, covid or even a cold is the final thing that triggers us and we just crash. The straw that breaks the camels back. The virus itself isn't the problem or else everyone would get CFS or long covid after.

[@ClareCaldwell-ef2pl]

I am so sorry to read your words describing some of what you went through before being hit by symptoms. I have found that Dr Gabor Mate is right when he says the body will say no by creating symptoms of illness if we are not saying no in the right way to things in our life that are not appropriate for us. Once I learned how to listen to the messages from my body and respond to them in the way my emotional brain needed me to I found I could be a care giver and experience traumatic situations without getting symptoms of illness. So it is not a coincidence that you got symptoms. They are not a punishment. ( although it certainly feels like it) they are a call to take appropriate action. I am recovering from breaking my leg really badly in February. I still can’t walk more than a few hundred metres and it is like waking on broken glass. But despite being in agony and not being able to put my foot on the ground for the first 3 months I didn’t relapse into ME/CFS. I wasn’t happy about it but I didn’t get sick because I have learned how to work with my emotional brain.

[@carrietodd]

Hi Julie, I can really relate to your comment. I am in a similar situation and I have been exploring my past and the childhood I had which explains my carer and people pleasing patterns. Things are starting to make sense to me now. All the very best for your recovery x

[@juliebryan4647]

@carrietodd thank you so much Carrie. I hope you find the answers with your journey and wish you well with your recovery x

[@janecribb]

Yes please a transcript would be great. Thank you so much 😊

[@lovemeditation8981]

Thanks so much for this interview Raelan. Clare makes so much sense with a wealth of knowledge, experience, compassion and a willingness to help others. Fantastic role model for all of us! I hope she will be a regular guest.

[@HM-iu2pw]

Great interview and thanks so much for providing a transcript ❤

[@ganbiandoujiao]

Fascinating interview! Thank you! Yes to having Clare back and yes to a transcript!

[@ClareCaldwell-ef2pl]

I am glad you found it fascinating. I have learned so much in the last 35 years about this and am really happy to share as much as I can to help as much as I can

[@jhyotilee6527]

Yes! Please have Claire back❣️and thank u Raelan and Claire for all u both do🥰

[@Notesie]

Definitely have Clare come back!

[@nico.stubler]

Great interview! I'd love for you to have Clare back!

[@madelinewoods4041]

Yes, transcripts! I took notes, but don't trust that I've captured all the golden nuggets!

[@RaelanAgle]

Hi Madeline! You can find the transcript link in the description below the video. Just click 'show more' to see it.

[@honorburza9110]

I would agree that my chronic diffuse RSI years ago was because of these reasons, definitely. It was the only way I would listen about boundaries and all the other things in the vid.

[@loretta9487]

Love for you to have a Q&A with Clare.

[@ClareCaldwell-ef2pl]

I am happy to do that

[@lirdling]

Yes, please have Clare back!

[@suerose54]

I would love a transcript, such valuable information. Thank you 🙏

[@RaelanAgle]

You can find it in the description box under the video! ❤️

[@Liam-i4h]

I did Mickel Therapy with this woman about five years ago, I went from being able to work full time to crashing and being unable to walk to the end of the street, I found her quite aloof and a bit rude, I asked for a bit of advice and she just shut down on me, i'd advise people to be cautious, it can make you worse.

[@calista1280]

That sounds exactly like my doctor! I was working as an enthusiastic full time career woman and sports athlete who then had a horrible accident and thru the doctors lack of listening to me & understanding my real pain and struggles I became worse and worse until completely bedridden and suicidal! Thank goodness I discovered spiritual strength and these recovery videos and am now on my way to FULL RECOVERY!

[@Liam-i4h]

I get that you're being passive aggressive but why do you feel the need to boast about these 'recovery videos' to people who's health deteriorated because of them?@@calista1280

[@Katherine-ds2ft]

That's super scary! Thanks for the heads up.

[@Liam-i4h]

I did it for over a decade, i've got so many bad stories about it, it was awful@@Katherine-ds2ft

[@RufusToots420]

Maybe her personality was a specific trigger for you, do you think? I'm curious if she is perhaps very like someone (in some way) who may have caused you trauma/pain in the past? How are you doing now? Better I hope 🙏

[@5dmotherlove]

Great interview! A lot of helpful information!

[@angelaclark2551]

Yes I'd love to hear from Claire again. ❤

[@RaelanAgle]

Thanks for letting me know! ❤️

[@AW-tz6fb]

Raelan - I miss your 'You totally got this!!' as your outro in the end!! 🥰🥰

[@samanthahart2054]

Wonderful and very interesting video more interviews would be great and a list of books perhaps where we can read and learn and educate ourselves would be helpful.

[@ClareCaldwell-ef2pl]

I have been inspired by When the body says no by Dr Gabor Mate. Many dozens of books have provided helpful info for me. Dr Lisa Rankin in Mind Over Medicine provided some early helpful insights about the real meaning of the placebo effect. The biology of belief Bruce Lipton. Dr John Sarno’s work understands pain differently. There are so many that have been helpful.

[@samanthahart2054]

Thank you

[@KatharineGoodall]

Yes would love to hear more. Thanks

[@lauracowan100]

😂the dog woofing at 19:34 Raelen kept so focused!

[@tatianagolitsyn675]

The dog was playing the role of the emotions, asking to be heard!

[@lauracowan100]

@@tatianagolitsyn675 haha yes!

[@sadnagoso-yn6iz]

Greeting from Germany 🇩🇪

[@alexandrecouture2462]

Wow, thank you!

[@ClareCaldwell-ef2pl]

You are most welcome

[@MuswellSeagul]

Inspirational. Clare has given me hope for our 16 year old granddaughter. How can we contact Clare? Thank you.

[@RaelanAgle]

You can find Clare's contact in the description box under the video! 💛💛

[@lydiasottile919]

Please put captions or a transcript, I could barely understand or hear her. I am very long time "person". Thank you

[@franziska7444]

So good thank you.. too bad, that the sound ist so bad, I can't really listen well, as not native speaker. 😢

[@franziska7444]

Oh there is a transcript... Awesome 🤩

[@SusanWallace-t3d]

Could not understand what she was saying. A transcript would be helpful. Thankyou

[@amna378]

i wish the audio was better!

[@madamem9923]

Does anyone know the costs involved in the program? There doesn't seem to be any info on their site

[@ClareCaldwell-ef2pl]

It varies a little. We have a fee system which takes into account the ability to pay. I had to remortgage my home to keep going in the early years as I know what it felt like to have symptoms and no hope. So I ask people to,pay a fair rate for both of us which means I can do this amazing work and still pay my bills.

[@madamem9923]

@@ClareCaldwell-ef2pl amazing clare thank you, I've also run lprogrammes in a similar way , I appreciate your generous work 😊

[@ultrafeel-tv]

So what exactly did she do to finally heal?

[@ClareCaldwell-ef2pl]

I had tried everything medics had to offer and lots of complimentary therapies but nothing worked. Then I heard that there was a study that showed the hypothalamus was overworking in some people with ME. I had got to the point after 15 years and so many tests and blind allies that I started to think there must be something small in my brain out of sync which was very small but causing all my big symptoms. The hypothalamus is responsible for regulating every single system in the body. It is also part of the emotional brain. So if we are not working with our emotions the way our emotional brain needs us to it will go into overdrive and overwork our body creating symptoms. I used to wake every morning feeling like I had flu and had run a marathon so this just resonated with me. I still didn’t know what to do but learned what was causing my emotional brain to be distressed and how to answer it in such a way that it didn’t need to send symptoms of illness through being overworked. In my case i had to be very clear to say no to unfair or thoughtless treatment in a constructive way. Not just tell myself I was strong and could cope with it. Then as symptoms began to reduce I was able to start building a life that met my needs and they continued to reduce until now for many years I have had no symptoms.

[@monkeybearmax]

@@ClareCaldwell-ef2pl so if you live with emotional taxing people bc you’d otherwise be homeless is it still possible to heal? 🤔

[@ClareCaldwell-ef2pl]

@@monkeybearmax yes it is. I have worked with many people in which this has been their situation. I would be asking you first of all if you are safe there? The two main concerns of the emotional brain is that you are safe and that you are creating a life that meets your needs on as many levels as possible. If we are living with people who are not working with their own emotions properly this is a possibility for change. Sometimes it is very difficult for this to happen. For example if we are living with someone with mental health issues or who are neurodivergent. In which case once we have established you are safe we would be applying the knowledge and tools we have which can make enough change to enable your body to stop sending symptoms. Sometimes the action is to change our response to what is going on. One of my brothers has Asperger’s which was not diagnosed. Before I knew this his behaviour was very triggering for me at times. Once I was aware of his brain difference and tried to understand it i found I was no longer triggered and our relationship has improved exponentially. I had thought he was being difficult on purpose but he genuinely could not help it. For anyone who has someone close to them with this condition, a good book to read is The Essential Difference by Simon Baron Cohen

[@melindabrown9718]

@@monkeybearmaxYes it is! Not ideal. But I have an autistic high needs child which is extremely emotionally draining. I'm his main caregiver, I'm 90% recovered from housebound ❤️

[@monkeybearmax]

@@melindabrown9718 thank you for sharing!

[@elspethkerr5931]

Yes more please of Claire’s knowledge

[@yobaca22]

Wow! This info is incredible! This really needs to be at the forefront of fighting these illnesses. How do we get the medical field to get on board and teach this to there patients?

[@ClareCaldwell-ef2pl]

It is a little frustrating to say the least. I know a lot of doctors who feel what I do has huge value and they send patients to me. But trying to get medicine as a whole to take this on board is a very slow process. Someone said it is like trying to turn a huge tanker around to sail in the opposite direction. We need research for the big institutions to believe this. Meanwhile we are here helping each other to recover.

[@ildibarath8249]

Is this the same approach that Dr. Sarno and Dr. Schubiner is doing in the States?

[@becoming_a_betty]

I get the impression Dr Sarno's work must have heavily influenced Dr Mickel when he came up with this therapy. It's a similar belief at the core that symptoms are messengers. Dr Sarno talked more about symptoms being hidden painful emotions but the TMS field has expanded on this as more discoveries are being made. The treatment approach may be slightly varied though I think. I have heard people use the two approaches together and that they needed to do the Sarno style journalling and the curable app alongside the Mickel approach.

[@queersobercurious3222]

I can tell this is a great talk, but I really can't here her. A re-do would be fab if possible.

[@RaelanAgle]

A transcript is available in the description box. Hope that helps! 😊

[@justbecauseican1410]

Mickel therapy is very limited.. and the idea that behind every symptoms is a reason its just not true. Mostly your symptoms are firing because you ans is overall triggered.

[@ClareCaldwell-ef2pl]

In The MBR we look for the underlying cause that triggered the ANS response.

[@justbecauseican1410]

@@ClareCaldwell-ef2pl usually there are several causes emotional, physical. Mostly the causes are no longer present.

[@ClareCaldwell-ef2pl]

My original cause of my symptoms was long gone but I still had symptoms. As Dr Gabor Mate says it is our response to the original trauma that will create symptoms. That is good news because we can’t change what happened to us but we can learn to understand and to change our responses now. So once we learn how to do that the ANS doesn’t need to keep firing.

[@justbecauseican1410]

@@ClareCaldwell-ef2pl i understand

[@ClareCaldwell-ef2pl]

Wishing you well on your journey to recovery

[@karmenashikian2479]

Is there anyone with Mcas after covid that has recovered??

[@alicequayle4625]

I'm pretty sure I've heard people on Suzy Bolt yoga group say they have. Eg back to eating a wide range of foods.

[@ClareCaldwell-ef2pl]

I am sorry to hear of your deeply unpleasant and worrying symptoms. I have seen allergic reactions reduce and go with the MindBody approach. Have you noticed any pattern to the symptoms you are getting? What was going on in your life when they happen? It can even be something you are thinking about which activates this response.

[@alicequayle4625]

I'm finding catacrom quite good for some mcas symptoms.

[@lindalock5065]

Mickel Therapy didn’t work for me.

[@peachesmcgee4795]

Me neither 😞

[@lindalock5065]

@@peachesmcgee4795 suppose it’s not a one size fits all as we are all different! Best of luck with your quest in finding therapies that do work.

[@wilmaflintstone4849]

@@lindalock5065 thank you, you too

[@ClareCaldwell-ef2pl]

I am sorry to hear that. It may be worth making contact to find out if the advances we have made could help you. The mindbody approach doesn’t resonate with everyone. I wish you well.

[@dommccaffry3802]

Me neither. Its very facile and over simplistic. And you very often cannot identify the "keys " (which are not keys) . Keys being emotions . " oh , the reason i am feeling ill is i am lonely, or bored, or blah blah blah. This is a public forum, so i am limited in what i can say, but it would involve a barrage of expletives.

[@ajbhalla2426]

I’d love to know more

[@sharonpearce8463]

Yes please ask Claire to come back for a second time.

[@yvonnehigginson3154]

Transcripts definitely....

[@RaelanAgle]

You can find it under the video!

[@dianehamilton1793]

The heart is not a pump like you were told , it is a vortex. Unfortunately at the moment I can't think of the Doctor that proved this.

[@kathrynhall4775]

Thomas Cowan MD has written a book about this I’m not sure if he’s the doctor that proved it ☺️

[@jackiegroden416]

Hard to hear unfortunately..

[@ClareCaldwell-ef2pl]

I was disappointed in the quality of the microphone I used. My husband said the sound was fine when he listened through headphones.

[@jackiegroden416]

@@ClareCaldwell-ef2pl it was still a great interview… just alot of background noise…thank u for doing this!

[@superdr88]

I wish she had a better microphone, as a non native English speaker, it’s hard to understand here

[@kazziemaccie]

I'm English speaking and can't hear her properly!

[@lieshethvermeir5867]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@mirandaandrea8215]

Great guest, but whats Mikel Therapy!🤷🏽‍♀️

[@ClareCaldwell-ef2pl]

It was an early approach to working with the emotional brain. It was how I began to recover. In the 20 years since then there have been a lot of advances in our understanding of the emotional brain and how to work with it which is incorporated into The MindBody Reconnect.

[@dommccaffry3802]

Mickel therapy. Do'nt get me started.

[@louis_cole]

why?

[@dommccaffry3802]

​@@louis_colebecause i had a horrible expensive and stressful experience with it , and it made me worse. And two of my friends had a similar experience.

[@Liam-i4h]

@@louis_cole Because it's awful.

[@louis_cole]

@@Liam-i4h why?

[@charmainebacke7888]

She’s hard to understand. Basically an introduction as to why I need her courses.

[@stellaancimer8505]

Mold

[@charmainebacke7888]

I can’t understand her words / accent, muffles microphone

[@jamieessex6047]

I hate these kind of interview. No point just words.

[@germanside7890]