Watch the Transformation Before Your Eyes :

A Recovery from Long-Term ME/CFS

For Recovery Story Disclaimer, please see the main page here!

Many people wonder if recovery is possible for people that are sick long-term with ME/CFS. Brenten’s story is a wonderful example of what’s possible and we were lucky enough to capture parts of his journey on film.

When Brenten watches the footage from a few years earlier when he experienced the powerful shift transforming his recovery efforts after reading CFS Unravelled, he gets quite emotional, and frankly so do I.

Having coached Brenten during his recovery and walked side by side with him, through what was probably one of the roughest recovery journeys for someone recovering from long-term Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis) I’ve seen, makes this story especially close to my heart.

When Brenten goes to watch the old footage of himself, feel free to pause and watch the video below sharing his experience of reading the book.

Watch this video when Brenten and I pause our recording in the above video!

Please leave a comment at the bottom of the page!

Here are some social media images for sharing:

Brenten quote with background of runner on road

Brenten quote with background of man standing at water edge at sunset

Emotional picture in ME/CFS Recovery interview with lower legs in background

background picture of mountain with 3 pictures showing ME/CFS recovery journey

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What do you think? Leave a comment

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Guest

Michael

Thanks for sharing, Dan. It’s nice to have some validation now and then while on this journey. And it helps to know that this back and forth is part of the process.

Thanks Dan and Brenten.

Author

Dan Neuffer

You’re welcome – yes it’s comforting to know – glad you liked it.

Guest

Jmozz

What a moving story- I wanted to reach out and hold him in the before video! The utter despair,fatigue and exhaustion was there in his eyes- a look I recognise! I’ve seen a few recovery stories where the sufferer is bouncing around at end talking about the latest marathon they have done or whatever and somehow it’s hard to relate to as you think ‘that will never be me’ however there was something real and raw about Brenton and his eloquence that was sooo relateable – even the bit where he talks about thinking he was unique in his story… Read more »

Author

Dan Neuffer

Thank you Jmozz

It’s wonderful to hear how you related to Brenten’s experience – I too wanted to hug him and related to his feelings about it which is why I actually stopped recording to respect his privacy. I had many moments like Brenten after I recovered, but I never saw video footage of myself in those moments. I wrote about this kind of experience in a different blog on Health Rising – where I explain how I felt sorry for that former self.

Guest

Julie York

I have found this interview so inspirational and emotional . I have been suffering for 10 years , so many ongoing symptoms… i have ordered your book and feel I am completely ready to open myself up for recovery. Thank you for your guidance, you have been the only person out there who has given me answers and hope.

Author

Dan Neuffer

Thanks for your comment Julie – I am glad you are uplifted and inspired.

It’s interesting how some people really love the interview and others feel it is too non-specific – it also shows on the comments on youtube here: https://youtu.be/_tFNUa6J_JY

Guest

Jen

Thank you Brenten and Dan for sharing this interview. I’ve been sick for about 7 years now, believing that its only time, rest and avoiding stress that will allow my body to recover. But its taking so long and the setbacks are brutal. Listening to your experience has given me hope. I’ve always believed that this illness and recovery is a complete mind, body and spiritual transformation journey and what you say confirms this.

Author

Dan Neuffer

Hi Jen
It is a trying journey at times – but important to keep your eyes on the goal.
Indeed these are key aspects of recovery, but be mindful to expand your approach to RETRAIN your ANS also on top of the resting.

Guest

Sue

Love the interview. Especially knowing that everyone feels like they are the only one who will not get better. Understand the turning point is taking responsibility for your own health and having hope, but what would be really helpful to me is knowing what the first signs of recovery were for others. The first physical proof that they were starting to get better.

Author

Dan Neuffer

Hi Sue – thanks for the comment!

Look, symptom treatment can certainly make us feel like we are making progress.

But I would say that the first signs of recovery are when we start to bounce back more quickly from flare ups – that’s been my experience.

Guest

Sue

Dan wat about wen ur bedridden and it’s really one constant flare. I ask cuz some things like internal vibration which were shocking 10 months ago have all but disappeared so I think I’m Getting better but then the night sweats come back. So better or just cyclical? I don’t think it’s obvious unless looking in the rear view mirror when recovered. That’s why I asked and wd love to hear included in stories cuz this for me wd build on the hope. Love CFS unravelled. Am using it for my recovery but at this stage don’t know if I’m… Read more »

Author

Dan Neuffer

Hi Sue,

Yes, that’s not an easy time – I know having been there myself.

Indeed it gets confusing to really track progress because of the cyclical nature of flare-ups.

I usually tell people to assess monthly and do the assessment based on the whole month, not just on how they feel at the moment.

Guest

Sue

Thank you Dan. When the fear gets too much I listen to your recovery stories. I live alone with minimal support and often they are the only thing I have to keep afloat. Keep ’em coming.

Author

Dan Neuffer

Thanks Sue

I have lots of recovery interviews in stock for publishing – will work hard to get them out to you all in the coming year. 🙂

Guest

Michael

Oh, one other thing, Dan. The before and after video is unavailable.

Author

Dan Neuffer

We don’t see any difficulties – can you explain what happens when you try to view it? Same on other devices/browsers?

Guest

Stuart

Excellent interview. Perhaps the most insightful interview from a recoveree that I’ve ever seen.

The before and after video just comes up with a blank screen (like a detuned TV) and says “This video is unavailable”. Could it be a geographical issue?

Author

Dan Neuffer

Thanks for the feedback Stuart – high praise indeed!

Hope it’s fixed – I have re-embedded the video. Looked fine at my end – frustrating.

Guest

Stuart

Yep – works now.

Author

Dan Neuffer

👍

Guest

Mary Parry

The last few remarks that Brenten made in that video hit home for me: that it is vital to believe in the possibility of getting better. Over the years the wisdom that I have received, through the literature I have been exposed to, preaches that M.E. follows a path of each time one has a set-back one recovers, but never to quite the same level as one was at before the set-back, so that there is a slow but gradual deterioration over time. I think, for me, that has become a self-fulfilling prophecy. I have never suffered to anything like… Read more »

Author

Dan Neuffer

Thanks for your comment Mary – and a Happy New Year to you! 🙂

Guest

Lyssa T

Thank you, Dan and Brenten for this insightful and inspiring video! The thing that most struck me was Brenten’s comment about how he had to “make space” for getting well, i.e. he had to be able to imagine what it would feel like to be well, and be able to see that future. That was a huge “aha!” for me, because I don’t have a “before” to compare to. My therapist believes I’ve had ANS Dysfunction since early childhood trauma began at the age of two. I don’t remember a time in my life, even throughout my childhood, when I… Read more »

Author

Dan Neuffer

I am glad you were supported by this wonderful interview.

Only someone that has gone through that struggle of lost and found hope really gets it – I have seen that Brenten’s CFS recovery interview has particularly resonated with many people.

Great to hear you making progress with the ANS REWIRE program – hope to share your story here one day soon. 🙂

Guest

Susan

Dan,I’m confused by your decision to layer music over this film. I found it impossible to watch as I think would the majority of people with our experiences.I could see from muting the film the awful suffering of this man and it was upsetting not to be able to listen to his story. I’ve had to more or less stop watching t.v. because of the way emotive music is layered over dialogue these days and have had to resort to older shows and films from before this format became the norm. Please, please on a website for people who I’m… Read more »

Author

Dan Neuffer

There is no music layered over the interview – it only plays during the intro which is common practice for podcasts and interviews.

Just skip the music part!

Reviews of CFS Unravelled

One of the best books I've read in a long time
One of the best books I've read in a long time. Dan should be commended on an exceptional read. Finally someone with a balanced common sense approach to CFS. The hypothesis really fits in with my own personal story and how/why I got sick in the first place. Well done, 5 stars from me! Now time to work on my recovery!

Elizabeth W

This book has given me great clarity regarding the road to recovery.
I have just finished reading Dan's book. I have had CFS for nearly four years and have spent a lot of money, time, effort trying this and that to get better, including consultations, tests and treatments with professionals specialising in CFS. Dan's book has really helped me to understand what those professionals have been trying to address and to support me with and where I have had misunderstandings about what needs to happen for recovery to take place. With this now very clear understanding of what is happening in my body, I feel like "the penny has dropped", that I am no longer fumbling in the dark looking for answers form a myriad of sources. I know what I have to prioritise to support recovery, and I feel I now have enough understanding about what is actually happening in my body to know what professional advice and guidance to take on board to further support recovery. Someone just switched a light on.... thanks Dan!

Sara P

Life Changing
Intriguing. Well-researched and written. Implementing its information was literally life-changing. Thank you Dan Neuffer for your tenacity, intelligence and talent.

Amy B

Best investment i've made.
Finally, someone who understands what we are going through. I believe that recovery depends on understanding the root causes of this illness and Dan offers the best view yet having been there himself for several years. This book is by far the best investment I have made in this illness, It has given me hope of a full and healthy life where nothing else has.

Tania L

Great book
I love this book. I have a clear direction and know what to do to completely heal from CFS. I'm glad I found CFS Uraveled on youtube. After watching interviews with people who healed from CFS I bought the book. I thought I just had to live with CFS. Now I have hope that I can have energy and health again.

M W

Great read
Dan really does know his stuff, and has recovered from this hideous illness himself. We tend to drive ourselves crazy searching for the root cause of CFS when trying to find the cure, whether it be vaccinations, too much stress, a virus etc, Dan points out the obvious, whatever it was that was your trigger, something triggered the autonomic nervous system to over react for a long time, I like the way he points out that everything else is secondary. I have spent thousands on treating all the different areas of my health that went wrong, nutrition, hormones, methylation, food intolerance, none of it worked because my nervous system was not functioning correctly.

C Long

Great read
Best material I've read on this subject so far

Petrun P

Clear and Helpful
A good overall explanation of likely causes of CFS and more importantly, tips for a full recovery. As someone who recovered completely from CFS a decade and a half ago, only to relapse due to my own ignorance of the causes of the illness, I hope this book will help me cure myself for good!
I would give 5 stars if the author had gone into more detail on some of the more idiosyncratic symptoms of CFS (of which there are many) and possibly how to deal with them. If you are suffering from CFS or are close to someone who is, I fully recommend you carefully read this book.

C Crow

A must read for anyone w CFS or related symptoms

This information should be the foundation of any CFS related recovery. It is a must read for anyone who wants to heal themselves. I have been reading and researching CFS for two years now and this is hands down required reading. I wish I had found it earlier.

CFS is an expansive topic, and further reading will likely be required to delve into topics such as adrenal health or gut inflammation, to name a few, but you must read CFS Unravelled first to fully understand how those treatments fit into the larger picture and understand the source of many people's CFS, the autonomic nervous system.

Jayson Y

This books gave me back hope
I feel this book is a must read for CFS sufferers, BUT I can also say timing is going to be important in when you read it. I ran across the the CFS unravelled website early on in my diagnosis when I was still looking for that one miracle cure and brushed it off as a sales pitch. I think I followed the typical path of researching this illness to death and coming up with ways to help my symptoms, but nothing to understand the core issue, which is the nervous system. Reading this book, at this time in my illness (after I understood that the secondary problems of gut, fatigue, brain fog, exercise intolerance, etc are just that: SECONDARY issues) has really given me hope of getting my life back. Understand this is not a miracle cure. There is work on your end. But, now I feel like there is light and health again at the end of the tunnel.

Shannon E

I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone with CFS and related conditions like Fibromyalgia. This book lets you look at the cause of your CFS and helps in the recovery process. Daniel explains that it is not a quick fix as it took a while to get to this state so with guidance it will take time to recover and he will help you all the way with recovery.

This is by far the best book I have read and I have read many. The science behind CFS is explained and then how you can help yourself to recover. Your nervous system has been traumatized and no magical pill will fix this problem

Vince Z

Best book on the market for FMS/CFS Suffers.
You will find the answers that your doctor can't give you! It is a true LIFE SAVER! Dan breaks everything down to explain how and why we have what we have. It becomes a bit complicated, but hang in there. If you only get the jist of the medical understanding you will be fine. He then goes into how to recover from this/these disorders. It all makes good sense. The recovery phase will be hard work, but once you have completed it, you will have your life back again. You will feel healthy. How can you put a price tag on that?
Have an open mind, even if you think you have tried everything and have given up on finding real help. This book IS THE REAL THING!!

Laura

Finally a book that breaks it all down into language we are able to understand AND offers possible answers to all the WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN. This book could have been written about me... it resonates with me deeply. I wholeheartedly recommend it. Afterall - why not try and help yourself as much as you can, this book offers you this opportunity.

Cath

This book is a must read!
I can not explain how much this book has helped me to understand Fibromyalgia. It makes a whole lot of sense!Doctors barely understand it and are just trying to load you with medications that don't fix the underlying problems. You have to start from the inside out and this book gives lots of great information and resources to help you understand and come up with a plan.

L Branch

This book makes me feel understood......have not finished it yet..but so far, I love it. Looking forward to reading the rest.

K.B.

This is very well researched, and provided information about nutrition and lifestyle that goes far beyond the prevention of autoimmune diseases. These are lifestyle changes that all of us should be considering--not just people suffering from Fibromyalgia!

After suffering with fibromyalgia for 13 years, I've read all sorts of theories and 'cures'. This is the first book I have read that provides a thorough and credible explanation for the symptoms of this disorder. Ten days since reading it, I have adopted his dietary recommendations in particular and already feel much better.
Highly recommended for both fibro sufferers and their families.

Lucinda A

Well written and it covers all the basics of what people with CFS and Fibromyalgia need to know to get some relief.

Judy H

A book for physicians and patients alike
I love this book for its honesty and reader-focus. A very horrible disease that theoretically is incurable ... And see, you too can overcome it. There is much work in this book. I am sure it will be extremely popular among physicians and patients, as well.
Dan, I will design your next cover for free! Thank you for doing this valuable contribution to many people.

Georgina

Excellent Book
Thank you so much for your wonderful book. I found it to be an absolutely wonderful take fibromyalgia/CFS survivors and what it takes to really create a regimen that works best for us and our mental health and how it plays a significant role in how we all have the potential to heal parts of our chronic pain.

Hollie

The writer know exactly how it feels to have CFS. I liked that the book was written from someone who had CFS point of view and I am currently trying out his Theory do i can be healthy again like he is.

Mandy

Intelligent and helpful
Having fibromyalgia myself, this book was quite enlightening.The information was helpful, describing the disease completely. The book gave me more understanding of how I started with this disease and true possibilities of how I could rid myself of the disease. Thank you, Dan Neuffer.

Ann E

This book was very helpful to me. Written very well and easy to understand.
Thanks for this fantastic book.

Amy M

This book is great. I mostly recovered (to a level of 80%) using Amydala retraining. This book helped with with my last 20%. A full recover is possible and i am living proof. I applaud the author for writing it and am so glad i found it.

Andrea W

I had waited for this kind of book for a long time. Dan Neuffer explains scientifically how and why it is so difficult to recover from CFS, but also shows that it can be done. After having read this book I slept better and got more hope to recover myself.

Bodil W

A clear conscise book based on sound research, with clear , easy to follow guidelines for turning this terrible illness around.

Jan C

Intriguing. Well-researched and written. Implementing its information was literally life-changing. Thank you Dan Neuffer for your tenacity, intelligence and talent.

Amy B

Finally, someone who understands what we are going through. I believe that recovery depends on understanding the root causes of this illness and Dan offers the best view yet having been there himself for several years. This book is by far the best investment I have made in this illness, It has given me hope of a full and healthy life where nothing else has.

Tania L

The book is extremely informative, well grounded in research and full of hope. It tackles understanding and treating the root causes of such a devastating condition.

Greg D

A comprehensive, all encompassing understanding of CFS
The author's book was extremely helpful in that he both covers some significant explanations of the cause of CFS yet steps back and looks at the bigger picture, i.e. a dysfunction within the autonomic nervous system. His writing style is clear and he expresses some complex concepts in a thoughtful and thorough manner. I would thoroughly recommend it as a starting point for anyone who is seeking to understand the underlying mechanisms for CFS and a way forward in terms of addressing it!

Chris B

Thank You!
Many thanks for writing this, it is a bit complex but so is ME. It great to read books written by somebody who has actually suffered the same symptoms and gone down the same weary trail. I am trying to follow the advice given - there's nothing hugely complicated so I feel hopeful after 10 years of this horrible illness.

Ming

If you have ME/CFS please read this book
I have just read this book as I have had CFS for five and a half years and have tried a lot of different techniques and supplements but have never recovered. This book is written by someone who has recovered and done a lot of research and spent a lot of time on this project. It is well written and goes into fine detail about the causes and how to reverse the illness. I have just started on my action list and can't wait to try the ideas in the book. It gives hope to anyone who has this terrible illness and a lot of things to try.

Reidy

As a sufferer for many years at last I have found someone who writes in easy to understand language. He understands what it is all about and not as many people think 'it's all in your head' The book needs to be read as stated from begining to end. It has left me feeling more positive about myself and I will act on advice given.

Rita L

Amazing!!
I found this book free on kindle and thought, what have I got to lose? I feel like crap anyway, I can't get any worse...
WOW... Amazing insight, Amazing story, Amazing results... Get it - You won't be disappointed

A C

Interesting and informative
I found this book interesting as it connected many pieces of information and certainly rang true with my experiences of this illness. I would recommend it.

Gina B

Just Brilliant
This is the best most comprehensive book on CFS I have ever read and I HAVE READ LOADS!! The explanations about how vitamins affect your body were clear and concise, thank you fr this, have recommended it to loads of my support group members.

T. White

Excellent
This is an excellent and comprehensive explanation of the most likely mechanism of CFS and how to help yourself get better. Quite complex explanations but worth trying to follow them. I have been following his advice and have noticed definite improvements.

Kate D.

Great stuff!
If you suffer from this condition, you'll find it inspiring and helpful.

Shane W.

Great read!
Very well researched and well explained by the author. I would definitely recommend this to people looking to recover from ME/CFS

Adam