As a previous teacher, a teller of stories and a mother too, I understand the power of poetry, of compassion and of well-delivered advice and guidance. Of the feeling of having someone there to hold your hand, to help you through difficult times…I also understand the daily struggles of people with such debilitating, painful, fatiguing and confusing conditions as ME/CFS and Long COVID. I have been there; I have previously been diagnosed with both chronic conditions and have had the NHS sessions to support recovery from both Long Covid and ME/CFS. I have also done my own research, the mind-body work necessary, and recovered myself. Now I am here to support you and to show you that you are not alone in this.I hope this book brings hope to many and support and guidance too!Everything I say is backed up with quotes and information from experts and recovery programme founders. My narrative leads the book and my own recovery leads the structure and content of the book. The poetry offers compassion, support and guidance too and brings some light relief and hope to the darker days of these conditions. I believe this book offers compassionate and very human advice, which is both valuable and necessary in a world where the medical profession is often at a loss in how to help us.

Poetry was a coping mechanism and then a way out of chronic illness for Victoria. She then started taking notes from every podcast, video, interview, and recovery book she read or watched and increasingly realised she had the makings of a book to support others; a kind of recovery manual which offers empathy, support, guidance and advice.

Victoria felt a calling to bring this knowledge, understanding and belief in healing from such a complex set of conditions to the wider audience.

She empathises with and validates the experience and daily struggle of others with conditions such as ME/CFS and Long Covid, conditions she has managed to recover from herself, using a mind-body approach.

The book is split into two parts: Illness – current science-based information and theory, plus her own journey with ME/CFS and Long Covid; and Recovery – with strategies, healing tips and mindset support, plus heartfelt poetry. Victoria’s own poetry permeates the whole book; it combines her healing advice and her own journey in verse.

Customer Reviews

5.0

5 reviews

Anne

I am not an ME/long COVID sufferer, but found a lot of resonance in this book. That it is a very personal journey reflecting the confluence of what has happened to one person makes it an engaging read, yet everyone can relate to elements of it. My main take-out it is that coping with pain is about self awareness, managing expectations and focussing on wellness not illness - what you can do rather than what you can’t do. I have a list of useful actions coming out of reading this. I urge you to read it too.
Caroline

A truly brilliant and beautifully written book. You Are Not Alone is incredibly heartfelt, compassionate and inspiring; bringing together real-life experience, research and practical healing strategies in such an accessible and engaging way. The poetry woven throughout makes the book particularly special. It adds a powerful and deeply personal dimension, capturing the emotions behind chronic illness and recovery in a way which is incredibly moving. There is so much warmth, knowledge and genuine understanding within these pages. It is informative and thought-provoking, yet also reassuring and uplifting, offering real hope and encouragement that recovery is possible, and genuinely attainable. An amazing book with such an important message. I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone living with ME CFS/Long Covid, and equally to family and friends wanting to better understand and support someone on their healing journey. Beautifully written, incredibly inspiring, and absolutely deserving of five stars.
J Clegg

This book offers support, guidance, and advice to people who are struggling with chronic illness and are not getting the help they need elsewhere. I don’t know how she managed to do all this research and make all the notes to not only get well but help others do the same while she was unwell with cognitive and fatigue issues. I think it’s an amazing thing to do and a wonderful book. The poetry is especially good with support, guidance, and advice offered in verse with her own feelings and emotions about the illnesses intertwined cleverly into it. What an amazing and powerful read. I would recommend this book it is well worth buying!
Brenda

You Are Not Alone is a book that truly makes you feel seen and understood. One of the most meaningful parts for me was hearing her words through the poetry she wrote while she was still ill. There is something incredibly powerful about hearing from someone who was living through the experience herself—not looking back from the other side, but putting words to the fear, uncertainty, pain, and hope she was experiencing in the moment. The book is filled with practical healing tips and different approaches that she shares from her own recovery journey. I appreciated that she openly talks about what helped her and the things she discovered along the way. It gives the reader ideas to explore while also offering the reassurance that there isn’t necessarily one single path to healing. Most of all, this book reminded me that when you are chronically ill, you can feel incredibly isolated and misunderstood. You Are Not Alone offers the comfort of knowing that someone else has been there, understands the struggle, and believes that healing and hope are possible. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is living with chronic illness or supporting someone who is. It is a book you can return to when you need encouragement, understanding, and the reminder that you don’t have to walk this journey alone.
Shaun Towle

An excellent book with insight on what might be happening in the body, and many healing tips and strategies to aid recovery from ME/CFS and Long Covid. A human and heartfelt recovery resource. The poetry adds a light hearted and insprationl dimension to the book. A must for anybody recovering from ME/CFS long covid or just wanting a little compassion, validation, or hope that full recovery is possible.