Phase 2 is unmistakeable. It is the point where the body cannot carry on.
Many people see this as the starting point of their health crash, and will pinpoint a certain day when the virus struck or a day when they simply could no longer get out of bed.
At this stage there is usually less awareness of what preceded the Crash Phase. It feels like something bad has happened to the body. This is when no amount of willpower works. The body feels ill and broken. There will be pain and crippling exhaustion that is never relieved by sleep.
Many sufferers notice a significant decline in cognitive function, decision making and word recall. Writing and spelling are affected, speech can get jumbled, and insomnia is a common feature as is sleeping endlessly. Both create severe anxiety. This anxiety is like a relentless loop that stops the body from resting even if you feel you are.
The sympathetic nervous system is dominant and is not being counterbalanced by the parasympathetic system which needs to calm this reaction down.
There may have been many mini- crashes along the way and your type ‘A’ personality will be frantically trying to figure out a way to fix this, but all the old strategies that you have used in the past to keep pushing through no longer work. This crash is so severe it is not like anything you have experienced before. Even though you are exhausted you may still be feeling guilt over letting people down. You may still not recognise that you have been over doing it prior to becoming ill as you have always functioned at this level.
In this phase the focus is on helping you to rebuild your energy. Treatments such as Reflexology or Acupuncture can be helpful at this time. You need to keep moving but only the gentlest of movement so as not to drain your energy further. You cannot exercise your way out of this crash. Be kind to yourself, accept that you need to rest and ask for help to do things that you are unable to.
As a Specialist Chronic Fatigue recovery practitioner, I am experienced in supporting clients through this stage of their illness. If you want to find out more, book in for a 30 minute discovery consultation and take the first step of your journey to recovery.
