Recovering from Post-Covid-19 Syndrome

Since March 2020 words and phrases which we rarely thought of or had never even heard before started to become common place.  It started with ‘Covid-19’, ‘pandemic’ and ‘lockdown’.  A few months later others started to emerge such as ‘Post-Covid-19 Syndrome’, ‘long Covid’ and ‘long haulers’.  I’m going to stick with ‘Post-Covid-19 Syndrome’ in this blog we’ll be exploring what it is and how you can overcome it with the help of cognitive behavioural therapy.

How long it takes to recover from Covid-19 is different for everyone but the good news is that the majority of people make a full recovery within 12 weeks.  If, however the symptoms last for longer than 12 weeks and there is no other explanation for them then this is termed ‘Post-Covid-19 Syndrome’. 

There are lots of symptoms which may be experienced including extreme tiredness (fatigue), breathing problems, joint pain, heart palpitations, sleep problems, dizziness, memory difficulties and depression and anxiety.  Understandably these symptoms can make returning to normal day to day life very difficult.  You may struggle to return to work, loose touch with people, stop exercising like you usually do or find household jobs piling up.

Bear in mind that you are not only recovering from a very serious virus but you are also dealing with the other impacts of the pandemic such as changes to your working life, and child care arrangements.  You might be missing out on the usual practical and emotional support of friends and family due to social distancing measures.  You may also be grieving for the loss of a loved one.  All of these stressors will impact on your physical and emotional health and therefore affect your recovery.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) has been proven to help people to manage numerous long term health conditions including diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome.  Therapists are now applying this knowledge to help people to overcome ‘Post-Covid-19 Syndrome’.

A typical course of CBT would start by exploring your individual story, including the factors that may have predisposed you to developing Post-Covid-19 Syndrome in the first place and what is keeping the problem going now.  Your therapist would then look at practical strategies you can use such as sleep management, gradually increasing your activity level, addressing negative thinking patterns and using mindfulness and self-compassion.

If you have any concerns about Post-Covid-19 Syndrome then the first thing to do is to contact your GP.

If you are interested in CBT then I would love to hear from you, please get in touch by emailing hello@forresttalkingtherapies.co.uk or calling 07926 485 362.

Websites to explore …

www.nhs.uk

www.yourcovidrecovery.nhs.uk