Millions of COVID-19 long-haulers are hungry for answers, and feel frustrated with the slow progress of research that has immediate, practical applications that can bring relief. For those going the self-help route, here are a few books currently available to help you on your recovery journey. It’s our hope that these books, written by both medical experts and patients with lived experience, fill in some of your knowledge gaps and, perhaps more importantly, help you feel seen, understood, and taken seriously.*

Surviving Long COVID

In 2020 at age 26, Fiona Lowenstein developed Long COVID and felt alone. Without information or community support available anywhere, she decided to start her own support group, Body Politic. The stories and shared advice that came out of that group have now become part of Lowenstein’s The Long COVID Survival Guide, which she calls “a support group in book form.” In the 288-page book, 20 patients discuss a range of topics, including:

• Diagnosis
• Racism and gaslighting in the medical community
• Navigating employment concerns
• Fatigue and neurological issues
• Mental health

Managing Long COVID symptoms

Despite the prevalence of Long COVID, experts at the Oxford Long COVID Clinic say that there is still no clear public guidance, and “lots of misinformation.” In response, they have written a book entitled The Long COVID Self-Help Guide: Practical Ways to Manage Symptoms.

According to the authors, the book cuts through the confusion with clear, friendly advice on managing key symptoms—fatigue, breathlessness, brain fog, mental health, etc.—and resuming exercise and work. The book includes numerous case studies and patient input.

Thriving your way to recovery

Greta Steiner’s book, The Complete Guide to Long COVID-19: How to Survive & Thrive Your Pathway to Recovery focuses on accelerating patient recovery from Long COVID.

Steiner, a Swiss clinician in nutrition and psychology, says that she has been using her knowledge and experience to help people recover faster from Long COVID symptoms. In her book, she provides insights, advice, and tips for getting back to work, exercise, and creating a healthy support system.

The book covers topics such as managing symptoms more effectively, boosting nutrition, mindfulness to reduce stress, alternative therapy benefits, and Steiner’s 4-step RISE Protocol® for returning to health.

Reclaiming your life

Lucy Gahan, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist who’s known what it’s like to live with Long COVID since April 2020. Her 192-page book, Breaking Free from Long COVID: Reclaiming Life and the Things That Matter is “part memoir, part self-help guide” to help people manage the physical and emotional impacts of Long COVID.

Gahan uses narrative therapy to help people reconcile the emotional impact of Long COVID, and offers practical strategies for dealing with symptoms. She also discusses the many invisible challenges of chronic conditions, and aims to help people reconnect with the things they value most to regain quality of life.

Added nutritional support

Many Long COVID symptoms have been linked to prolonged body-wide inflammation, leading experts to recommend anti-inflammatory diets to promote recovery. To that end, The Complete Anti-Inflammatory Diet for Beginners: A No-Stress Meal Plan with Easy Recipes to Heal the Immune System may be helpful.

The stated goal of the 162-page cookbook, co-authored by a cooking instructor and a registered dietitian nutritionist, is to make starting and adhering to an inflammatory diet easy. What makes this cookbook different from other inflammatory diet books, say the authors, is its simple meal planning, easy and satisfying recipes, and food coaching on which foods to select and avoid.

“Books.” by Ryan Hyde is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Much about COVID-19 and Long COVID is still not fully understood. Information can change rapidly as research progresses. Responsum Health seeks only to inform, and does not endorse or recommend any specific providers, treatments, or products, and the use of a given source does not imply an endorsement of any provider, treatment, product, medication, or procedure discussed within.

Responsum Health also receives no compensation from any book sales that may result from this article.