r/cfsnervoussystemwork

Sorry, I’ve posted something like this before, but I’m posting again in the hopes that someone who hasn’t seen it might see it and be able to help. My CFS was caused by a concussion. But I can only find one recovery story about someone healing concussion-onset CFS with mind body work, and it wasn’t even a full recovery. Even just a concussion story, it doesn’t have to be someone who identifies it as CFS, just so long as it’s all the same symptoms. Or whiplash, CCI, things like that. I’m feeling like it’s hopeless because I’ve never ever met someone who had CFS from a concussion and healed. I’ve met many who got it from a concussion but none who healed. It makes me feel so hopeless.

Hello all, I'm looking for any tips or advice.

To cut to the chase, my nervous system really, really dislikes the presence of other people. Along the lines of schizoid tendencies, I've just always massively preferred to be alone in all circumstances, and I don't really enjoy connecting with people on any level, admittedly. I am deeply sympathetic from a distance, but up close it just feels like a threat no matter what I try. This has been something I've always lived with, but just suppressed because otherwise I wouldn't be able to live "normally", I'd have sought abject hermitage years ago.

I am incredibly blessed to have a loving girlfriend, good friends and an intact, relatively supportive family (albeit, one that has been fairly traumatic regrettably, and crucially I believe this to be the source of this particular disposition). Frankly, I have no idea how any of this happened.

Fast forward to dealing with long covid, naturally there is no choice but to lean on those around you, but this is like a permanent stressor to my nervous system, as much as I try to just let it go. I'm now scared to be alone in the house in case I have another severe flare (I've had mostly dysautonomia and mcas type symptoms rather than cfs), but I likewise struggle being around anyone for long periods, even people who are really very good to me. Even if my girlfriend wants to very sweetly come and surprise me with a visit, every fibre of my being is desperately uncomfortable with this but I simultaneously feel compelled to say "that's a lovely idea, thank you". I care very deeply for her, but I just don't feel like I'm built normal. It's as if every personal interaction is an intrusion on my sense of safety, and has been for as long as I can recall.

I see this as an opportunity to finally get over this, but I'm not exactly sure how. I'm not sure if I'm neurodivergent or just traumatised, either are possible. If anyone has any experience resolving with something similar, I would be very interested in hearing your perspective. My family are definitely the source, but while I'm still symptomatic, there's not a whole lot I can do about my environment, another thing I have always been sensitive to.

I would very much like to enjoy being around people, but I don't quite know how to do it.

Looking for others who might have experienced this. This is my story:

Late 2025 I went through a small cut for a mens photoshoot followed by a CrossFit competition at peak leanness. A ski trip in March pushed me over the edge. My nervous system essentially collapsed — chronic sympathetic dominance, HPA axis dysregulation, the works.

Current symptoms: severe sleep disruption (insomnia), elevated resting HR, suppressed HRV, heavy legs, inability to yawn fully, night-time catastrophising, hypervigilance, and a near-total loss of capacity across work, physical, and social life. Blood work confirmed the physiological picture with chronically high cortisol levels across the day measured in a 4 point saliva test.

All of the doctors I have spoken to have said I just have 'anxiety' which I disagree with given this literally emerged overnight; it's like someone has shot me with adrenaline.

I'm now three months in. Living with family. Stepped back from work. Working with somatic therapists and engaging with polyvagal theory, EMDR, Peter Levine's work, SSP, and Brainspotting as frameworks.

Has anyone been through something similar? Particularly interested in hearing from people who've come out the other side, and what actually moved the needle for them.

I can't speak for everyone. I'm not even invested in this community. Pretty much the extent of my knowledge on the nervous system is the synthesis of a small pool of self help utube videos, a chance encounter with the practise of TRE on my online feed, and my own intuition. The point being that if you're anything like me you don't need others to tell you what to think or determine how you have to go about healing.

7 months ago, at the start of the year I posted this in the CPTSD subreddit in which I detail my experience with nervous system healing. it has been the most uncomfortable journey in my life. My health felt like it was in shambles since late last year (I've had chronic issues for much longer than this) and I had a persistent sense that a sudden, painful demise was very near. For the past few days in particular I was imagining some terminal health diagnosis. And it was only at 4AM this morning that I finally feel liberated from non stop terror and suffering.

For the first time this year, overnight mind you, I feel better than I've ever been. I had some terrifying release immediately followed by complete shock and ecstasy. I can only describe it as my nervous system becoming coherent with my mind. After hours of gasping for air and rolling around on the floor I took the deepest most wonderful diaphragmatic breath I've ever taken in my life and sat there staring into the darkness in utter disbelief. The contrast was too difficult to even comprehend what just happened. I felt free, open, and healthy. Like I was living in a body I didn't recognize. I couldn't believe that I took a breath that deeply. I took another breath to double check and felt as though I could inhale to my hearts content and it felt AMAZING. My mind was clear for the first time in years.

Some part of me knew all along that I wasn't dying despite the many physical symptoms. I'm still young and the hope that my entire life hasn't been for nothing is the one thing that kept me sane through all of this.

I don't know why I'm posting this. I guess just to validate myself after months if not years of feeling doomed.

Hi all - please let me know if this is not the right space to bring these concerns. I am not sure on the rules around CFS specifically, and it may be that this space is reserved for discussion by people who have met the criteria for CFS, or at the very least been on this journey longer than me. If so I'm more than happy to take it down - I think having a space where a shared specific experience can be discussed is important and I don't want to disrespect that in any way.

I had a viral illness I first came down with 1 month ago from which I am suffering extended fatigue. I was very ill, worked very hard to entirely ignore all the signals my body was giving me to rest because I was away from home during my illness and sleeping in a tent, and had quite a traumatic experience of being unwell. I was probably the most ill I have ever been. I began making a recovery which stalled about 2.5 weeks ago, and I have not been able to get over the profound fatigue since. I am not bedridden, and my case is not severe, but I have not been able to work at all because I can't manage the bus journey or the social interactions of the workplace. I do feel like I have been experiencing PEM as a part of this, having a good day or two in a row and then the next couple of days barely functioning.

I know my own body and mind well, having suffered with anxiety which has left me unable to leave my house in the past. This experience is definitely different - the fatigue is new - but it is also very familiar. I was immediately drawn to understanding my fatigue as in part influenced by my predisposition to anxiety, and by how traumatic I found being so ill while away from my support network.

My question is if anyone has come across advice on how to address the nervous system this early on in the process. I understand that only one month in, my body is probably still doing some real work to heal after the virus, and I am keen to respect that. I understand that until I'm 12 weeks in, I'm considered within the normal range of post viral fatigue. I am also really conscious that I can already feel myself trying to make my life smaller in order increase certainty, panicking about whether I will be ill forever, not knowing whether I should be treating the PEM or not. Has anyone managed to turn things around this early on? If you were me, what advice would you give yourself to try and avoid spiralling? Is there a way to try and disrupt some of the more harmful behaviour early on?

What are some things y'all do to regulate your nervous system when suffering with anxiety. I also have IBS and i think when those 2 mix my body just feels like absolute crap. Do I need to change my lifestyle? My eating habits? Help.

Does anyone have book recommendations for working through a disregulated nervous system,people pleasing, moving on from things, letting things go?