Clearing the Fog

Book excerpt: “An essential guide” (Mark Hyman, author of Young Forever) to navigating life with the cognitive and mental health impairments that often accompany Long Covid. Early in the Covid-19 pandemic, the shocking mortality figures obscured the fact that death is not the only adverse outcome of the virus. Today, as many as 30 percent of Covid-19 survivors still experience symptoms long after their acute illness has passed, with cognitive and mental health problems especially prominent. For long haulers, this struggle with Long Covid has irrevocably changed their lives. Many have lost their ability to work, attend school, and look after their children. They often feel misunderstood and dismissed by others. Their once-full lives are now filled only with doctors' appointments that seem more and more futile. In Clearing the Fog, neuropsychologist Dr. James C. Jackson offers people suffering from Long Covid and their families a roadmap to help them manage their “new normal.” Focusing on cognitive impairment and mental health issues, he shows readers: The ways in which they can manifest and disrupt Suggestions for how and when to seek professional evaluations Science-based treatment options and strategies, Information on navigating health care systems and disability insurance Validation and hope as patients wrestle with their new diagnosis In addition, Dr. Jackson shares his own experience with chronic illness, relating to long haulers with vulnerability and compassion. Through moving stories as well as hands-on guidance, Clearing the Fog will help long haulers understand their current situation while offering multiple ways to address it, make sense of it, and move through it with the goal of thriving instead of merely surviving.