If You’re a COVID Long-Hauler or Worried About Re-Infection, This Ask BR Will Interest You!

Belleruth got this question last week, and our whole customer service team has gotten several others just like it, so we decided to post the whole Q and A. 

Evidently anywhere from 10-30% of people who’ve been sick with Covid report “Long Covid”, and a recent study in JAMA Network Open reported that out of 150 outpatients who initially had a mild COVID-19 infection, about one-third reported persistent symptoms as long as nine months after the illness. So, more and more we’re realizing that this is affecting a lot of people.

Question:

I am a long hauler. It has been a difficult journey for the last 7 months. My physician specializes in integrative medicine.  Over time, my immune system has been slowly picking up.  However, my blood markers for infection are still pretty high.   What’s the appropriate imagery I should listen to?  

Thanks. Sarah

 

Dear Sarah,

I’m very sorry you’re dealing with these long covid symptoms and persistent after-effects. I know this has to have been seven very long months for you. 

On the plus side, congratulations on finding an integrative medicine provider to treat you; and at least your numbers are trending in the right direction.

I’ve again reviewed the narratives for our various immune support guided imagery audios, to make sure they apply to Long Covid, and I can recommend the following titles, in order of specificity and relevance:

  1. Emmett Miller’s Overcoming Viral Infection: Guided Imagery for a Balanced Immune Response. This is imagery that Emmett wrote precisely to address Covid-19 and similar viruses, and I especially like it for its encouragement of a solid, protective immune response from the body’s fighter cells, but it focuses as well on the body’s innate mechanisms that signal when to ease up the attack, reduce inflammation, and tone down any excessive, potentially harmful auto-immune overkill.
  2. My Meditation to Support a Healthy Immune System, which covers the bases in a more general way (includes bacteria and cancers as well), and also uses imagery and hypnotic suggestion around the immune system exercising intelligent discretion and resisting going overboard. It’s a nice alternate for Emmett’s, has some stylistic differences (leaning more on multisensory imagery over a traditional hypnotic guidance) and works for those who like to hear a woman’s voice.
  3. Even more general and metaphoric, but still imagery that supports and supplements the two meditations already mentioned is our General Wellness
  4. If you prefer to address the stress associated with all that long hauling, I’d scratch General Wellness and consider instead Guided Imagery to Relieve Stress. This offers 4 tracks - 2 of guided imagery, plus a walking meditation, and affirmations.
  5. And because there’s such a long menu of possible conditions that can show up in long hauling, I’d consider listening to one or more of these as well, depending on what autoimmune impacts you’re experiencing. So, consider adding one or two of these along with your regimen:

(Suggestion: Don’t get carried away. Pick one or two of the main conditions that are troubling you the most and stick with those. If, over a few weeks, you feel they’ve been helpful, add one more at a time to intersperse with the rest. Just don’t overwhelm yourself with a whole library for starters.)

  1. Our guided imagery for Asthma if you’re experiencing shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
  2. Carol Ginandes’ hypnosis for Allergies for congestion and runny nose.
  3. Our imagery for Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue for muscle aches, body aches or fatigue.
  4. We have imagery for Headaches if Covid has left you with a hurting head.
  5. For gastric distress, nausea, or diarrhea, our imagery for Irritable Bowel Syndrome/Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
  6. Our imagery for Focus & Concentration if you’re experiencing foggy brain, poor concentration and general mind-drift.
  7. If Covid has managed to kick off or exacerbate your Diabetes, we have guided imagery for that, too.
  8. If you’re resisting or forgetting to take a recommended medicine or treatment, we encourage you to listen to Maurine Killough’s Embracing a New Medicine.
  9. If dealing with this frustrating state of affairs has left you with some understandable mental health impacts, we have guided imagery for Depression, Anxiety, and Posttraumatic Stress; And you could probably use a dose of Traci Stein’s self-hypnosis for Self-Compassion, too.
  10. And if long hauling has got you resorting to some addictive behaviors you know aren’t helping your cause much, we have guided imagery for Alcohol & Other Drugs; and for support with a 12-Step program by Chuck Leviton.

I hope this helps, Sarah, and I wish you well.

All best,

Belleruth