Jan Rothney, a 65-year-old from Devon, reports a full recovery from myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS) following a series of lifestyle and mindset adjustments. After falling ill in 2003, she now uses her experience to coach others through her "Reset to Thrive" program. Her journey suggests that the psychological approach to chronic illness may play a larger role in recovery than traditionally acknowledged.
The 10 per cent outlier in ME/CFS recovery
For most people diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), the prognosis is bleak . According to the report, data indicates that approximately 90 per cent of patients never achieve a full recovery, while about 40 per cent experience only partial improvement or temporary remission. Jan Rothney falls into the rare 10 per cent who have regained full health, having remained free of extreme fatigue for over two decades.
The onset of Jan Rothney's condition was abrupt. In 2003, following a common cold, the then 43-year-old education professional went from being highly active to being unable to lift her head off a pillow for a month. This experience is characteristic of ME/CFS, a condition defined by post-exertional malaise—a systemic crash that occurs 24 to 48 hours after minor physical or mental exertion and is not resolved by sleep.
Goldsmiths University's findings on the 95 per cent mindset link
While individual stories of recovery are often dismissed as anomalies, recent academic analysis suggests a pattern. A study from Goldsmiths, University of London, published this summer, interviewed 75 individuals who claimed to have recovered from ME/CFS. The researchers found that 95 per cent of these participants retrospectively linked their recovery to a fundamental change in mindset, with 80 per cent describing a conscious decision to get better.
As reported, these individuals shifted from viewing their illness as a fixed, irreversible state to seeing it as a physiological condition linked to stress, fear, and nervous system dysregulation. This "mind-body" model suggests that the brain's response to stress can be rewired, potentially opening a door for those who have been told their condition is permanent.
Reset to Thrive and the fight against 'soul crrushing' diagnoses
Jan Rothney's path to health began with a refusal to accept a clinical prognosis. At a chronic fatigue clinic, she was told she must accept that she would never return to her normal self—an experience she described as "soul crushing." In response, she developed a theory that ME/CFS could be overcome by altering the brain's stress responses, a method she now shares through her coaching program, Reset to Thrive.
To reach a wider audience, Jan Rothney published the second edition of her book, Breaking Free from Chronic Fatigue and Long Covid Symptoms, in July. The book and program aim to provide resources for those suffering from both CFS and Long Covid, emphasizing that while the condition is physiological, it may be changeable through targeted mental and lifestyle shifts.
The gap between Jan Rothney's experience and peer-reviewed clinical data
Despite the promising results of the Goldsmiths, University of London analysis, a significant tension remains between anecdotal success and medical consensus. Patient advocacy groups have issued strong cautions against claims that mindset techniques can "cure" ME/CFS, noting that there are very few high-quality, peer-reviewed clinical research papers to support such claims.
This leaves several critical questions unanswered. It remains unclear whether Jan Rothney's success is a result of her specific mindset shifts or if other biological variables were at play. Furthermore, because the report only highlights the success of the 10 per cent who recover, it is unknown why these techniques fail for the vast majority of patients. The medical community continues to struggle with the cause of ME/CFS, leaving patients caught between the hope of "rewiring" and the reality of a condition with no official targeted treatment.
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