Breaking Free: 2026 Updated Guide to Recovering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Long Covid Symptoms

Fully updated and expanded for 2026, the second edition of Breaking Free brings new research and deeper guidance to a trusted recovery resource for Long Covid and ME/CFS. As a former lecturer in Health and Social Care, a therapist and an experienced practitioner running her own Reset to Thrive Recovery Programme, Jan Rothney shares her expertise and first-hand experience about recovering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Long Covid. The book shows why there is so much confusion surrounding these conditions and how they impact on recovery, at a time when the after effects of Covid are being felt across all of society. Breaking Free allows readers to understand the science behind the symptoms, and learn how to work with the body to rebalance the autonomic system. You will be guided through step by step, at your own pace, and offered techniques to speed up recovery, before being shown what it takes to stay healthy and robust, no matter what challenges life brings. There is no magic: the answer lies within ourselves. Breaking Free: Anniversary Edition is a fully updated and expanded edition of the bestselling, pioneering guide to recovery from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Accompanying the internationally successful Reset to Thrive programme, it offers an evidence-informed perspective that reframes these widely debated conditions as reversible neurological dysfunctions rather than irreversible physical damage. The book equips readers with practical tools to regulate the nervous system, reduce fear responses, reinterpret symptoms and gradually rebuild their health. Drawing on emerging research into neuroplasticity, the autonomic nervous system and non-medical interventions alongside lived patient experience, the book explores how symptoms may be generated and sustained, and how recovery can be supported. This new edition incorporates over 500 peer-reviewed studies and places particular emphasis on the role of beliefs, expectations, self-agency and reassurance in shaping health outcomes reflecting a growing body of research in this area. It builds on the book’s reputation as an early and influential title in this space and is widely recommended by patient-led recovery groups. Breaking Free was the result and it has gone on to become an international bestseller. Structured as both an explanatory and practical guide, Breaking Free helps readers understand the mechanisms behind their symptoms while offering structured techniques to support recovery. This edition includes new insights into the links between stress, trauma, behavioural patterns and physical health, alongside tools for developing self agency, managing physiological responses, developing adaptive behaviours, developing healthy social defence skills, adaptive behavioural strategies, building resilience and creating supportive environments. It also features insights from participants in the Reset to Thrive programme and is presented in a disability-friendly format.