Alex Howard of OHC Discusses His Experience with Treating ME/CFS Effectively
After I published CFS Unravelled, I have continued to receive emails from people that gained great hope about recovery from ME/CFS and recovery from Fibromyalgia by reading the book. Based on the expanation and framework for recovery from fibromyalgia and ME/CFS that I had offered, many people subsequently found Alex Howard of OHC (the Optimum Health Clinic) and told me that he shares many of my views about how to recover from ME/CFS & Fibromyalgia.
So this interview is a result of the repeated emails I keep getting. The head of the clinic is Alex Howard who himself recovered after many years of ME/CFS. It's the first time Alex of OHC and I have spoken and indeed it turns out we share many of our views.
We discuss the need for a change of funding and treatment for everyone suffering with ME/CFS & Fibro & how patients have been terribly let down and neglected by the system. We also talk about why psychology plays an important part even though this is a physical illness and not a psychological illness.
We also discuss how people become jaded after many years of the illness and the insights he has gained about recovery after treating 1,000's of patients over the years and the need for evidenced based medicine and medical trials so that effective treatment protocols can become more available from a financial point of view and more easily shared in the medical community.
I hope you gain many insights from this interview. Here is a link to the Optimum Health Clinic:
http://freedomfromme.co.uk/
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Hi Dan, Very much enjoyed this interview. I am familiar with the OHC, and took one of Alex’s courses online. I particularly resonated with one of Alex’s comments: “The breakthrough at one stage becomes the limitation at the next stage.” This definitely describes my current state of recovery! I find that I want to get back into life, and am eager to gently start working again, but find that I still need to focus on my health…and keep discovering new symptoms. I try to distract / interrupt a lot of the attention on these symptoms, but there are some that… Read more »
Hi Jesse,
I don’t think easing up on the diet is detrimental, as long as you follow the basics of a balanced diet and replace high sugar/carb treats with better choices (like a single square of dark chocolate).
It’s important to remember that we have other health challenges at times that can be seperate from ME/CFS/FMS, so these need to be addressed seperately – defintely see a dentist about the gums!
Cheers,
Dan
Excellent interview. Very solid advice. Thank you for taking the time to help people with this illness.
Thanks for the comment Diane
great to see people with insights into ME/CFS linking up and putting together the pieces
thanks
Andrew
This dialogue is probably the most useful thing I’ve heard in terms of me recognising so much of what is being discussed and its resonance with my own insights. I too agree with Jesse how important it is to recognise how we need to keep pushing at the edges of whatever protocol has seen results or even changing tack when we seem stuck and trying new things. Also how something might be more effective at another stage. For example I tried Gupta, I really like the fact he offers money back guarantee, and it deffinitely moved me forward but was… Read more »
Yes, I too have come across cases of near cardiac failure, but on the whole, for the majority of people the illness translates into extreme suffering not death.
Glad this is resonating with you Sula. I think the Gupta progamme is very good, but certainly some people need some other treatments and tool alongside.
Stay focussed on your recovery!
Best wishes,
Dan
Hi Dan, I am 35yo male from NSW and have been suffering from CFS,but no fibro for 15 years. I completed a telephone psychology treatment course run by Alex Howard in the UK back in June last year. The processes he uses are very similar to what you are talking about in regards to ANS. By the end of the 3 month course i was extremely disappointed that there was no improvement in my CFS. I am not saying that it wouldn’t or hasn’t worked for other people,but i still feel just as fatigued as when i started the course.… Read more »
One thing i forgot to mention. Is that i am very hypersensitive to any kind of detoxification. So even the smallest amount of any kind of detoxifying agent,can me cause me to become violently ill. I guess that isn’t that uncommon with people that have a hyper immune system,and a toxic liver.
How have you got on Justine, any improvement in your life
Hi Justin, Thanksf or your comment. I feel your frustration. Unfortunately, there is a cost in providing all these programs and success cannot be guaranteed because as you are gathering, there are many factors at play. The key is the multi-lateral approach in my mind. Simply dealing with the psychological side is not necessarily enough. The body often needs assistance to recover. Also, I have often found that people are not addressing key psycholgocial triggers effectively. either they don’t identify them or they don’t even realise they are not following the program. The reason why I focus on the ANS… Read more »
Thanks for the reply Dan,
So what is it that your offering in terms of treatment? Is it your book that has helped people recover? Or is there some other treatment protocol?
It’s about gaining an understanding. My main effort so far has been the video explanation on the site (hopefully yo saw the 3 part video), and the book.
My efforts are based on education and coaching. For specific medical treatments, you have to speak to your doctor.
Dear Dan OHC here in England was the first listing on google when I got looking for Me treatments. The balanced diet thing with carbs etc I have tried but having type 2 diabetes has started to not work for my BM’s. But came across low carb eating for type 2 diabetes and it gives me much better control for blood glucose levels. It started working within one day of my instigating into my eating plan. Have decided to go more organic and more veggie as well as I am going through a bad ME episode at the moment. have… Read more »
It becomes complicated esepcially with Type 2 diabetes, a mild form of which really most people with ME/CFS/Fibro suffer (due to cortisol!). It certainly is about tailoring to your own condition and activity, but a balanced diet with the RIGHT TYPE of carbs, certainly makes sense. Going ultra low in carbs can be fraught with danger causing triggering of the syndrome. So whilst such a diet may actually be extremely health for a normal healthy person focussed on eating quality plants and animals without too much sugar, a person with ME/CFS or Fibro needs to be more ‘balanced’. When you… Read more »
My daughter has had ME for 4. 1/2 years now she is 22. She is at a very low point at the moment and is spending 90 percent of the day in bed. I am finding it very difficult to get her to engage in anything as we have tried so many different things. I am at a real loss at what to do and find it very draining and frustrating as I also have seriously ill parents and in laws.
Pam, as a parent myself, I recognise you may not like the advice I am about to give you. The first thing is that you look after YOURSELF. You don’t want to end up in the same position as your daughter, then you can’t help anyone! Ultimately, it is your daughter that has to make the journey, all you can do is support her. So hopefully she has listend to the video explanation and some of the recovery stories in her own time. When we are in bed, we often feel we can’t do anything. But the truth is, we… Read more »
I have read your book, but I feel I’m really up against it as I’m also Bipolar type 2 and have diabetes type 2, as well as some osteoarthritis and a type of inflammatory arthritis that is currently dormant. I am also on the menopause. Several members of my family on my father’s side have diabetes type 2 and it doesn’t seem to be related to weight. My father is diabetic and has never carried any extra weight. My fibro was secondary, but is now my primary disorder. My 18 yr old daughter may also have fibro, she is under… Read more »
Hi Elaine – it sure is a very difficult journey and given the complexity of Fibromyalgia Syndrome and lack of a quick simple solutions, medical providers struggle. The psychological stress and pressure the illness creates is a really big problem and this clearly often leads to secondary mental health issues also. That’s why, beside a multi-lateral approach that focusses on brain retraining and healing the secondary dysfunctions, we really need to do our best to feel happier and more at ease. Getting help to change how we think to reduce stress around our daily experience is a big part of… Read more »