Breaking Free by Jan Rothney
A guide to recovering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, ME and Long Covid
Breaking Free is an internationally bestselling recovery resource for people living with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, ME/CFS, Long Covid and post-viral illness. Drawing on lived experience, professional expertise and the latest research, Jan Rothney helps readers understand the science behind their symptoms and learn how to work with the body to rebalance the autonomic nervous system.
Fully updated and expanded for 2026, the second edition brings together new research, practical exercises, diagrams and step-by-step guidance in an accessible format designed to support readers through recovery at their own pace.
Now available in English and Dutch, with German and French editions on the way.
Find your edition of Breaking Free
Whether you prefer to read in print or digitally, you can find every available edition of Breaking Free here. Browse the selection below to see the formats currently available and on presale.
Breaking Free ebooks will be available directly from Arkbound in English, Dutch, German and French, so readers around the world can purchase and download their preferred language without postage costs. Print copies can also be ordered directly from Arkbound in English for UK customers. For readers outside the UK, and for translated print editions, Breaking Free is available globally through Amazon.
Volledig bijgewerkt en uitgebreid voor 2026 biedt de tweede editie van Breaking Free nieuw onderzoek en diepgaandere begeleiding in deze betrouwbare gids voor herstel van long covid en ME/CVS.
Als voormalig docent gezondheidszorg en welzijn, therapeut en ervaren begeleider van haar eigen Reset to Thrive Recovery Programme, deelt Jan Rothney haar deskundigheid én persoonlijke ervaring met het herstel van het chronisch vermoeidheidssyndroom (ME/CVS) en long covid.
Dit boek laat zien waarom er zoveel onduidelijkheid bestaat over deze aandoeningen en hoe die verwarring het herstel kan beïnvloeden, in een tijd waarin de gevolgen van covid nog altijd in de hele samenleving merkbaar zijn.
Breaking Free helpt je de wetenschap achter de symptomen te begrijpen en laat zien hoe je samen met je lichaam kunt werken om het autonome zenuwstelsel weer in balans te brengen. Stap voor stap, in je eigen tempo, ontdek je praktische technieken die je herstel kunnen ondersteunen. Vervolgens leer je wat nodig is om gezond, sterk en veerkrachtig te blijven, welke uitdagingen het leven ook op je pad brengt.
Er bestaat geen magie. Het antwoord ligt in onszelf.
As a former lecturer in Health and Social Care, a therapist and an experienced practitioner running her own ‘Reset to Thrive’ Recovery Programme, Jan Rothney shares her expertise and first-hand experience about recovering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Long Covid. The book shows why there is so much confusion surrounding these conditions and how they impact on recovery, at a time when the after effects of Covid are being felt across all of society.
‘Breaking Free’ allows readers to understand the science behind the symptoms, and learn how to work with the body to rebalance the autonomic system. You will be guided through step by step, at your own pace, and offered techniques to speed up recovery, before being shown what it takes to stay healthy and robust, no matter what challenges life brings. There is no magic: the answer lies within ourselves.
Vollständig aktualisiert und erweitert für die Ausgabe 2026, bietet die zweite Auflage von Breaking Free neue Erkenntnisse und tiefgehendere Ratschläge in einem bewährten Genesungsratgeber für Long Covid und ME/CFS.
Als ehemalige Dozentin für Gesundheits- und Sozialwesen, Therapeutin und erfahrene Leiterin ihres eigenen „Reset to Thrive Recovery Programme“ teilt Jan Rothney ihr Fachwissen und ihre persönlichen Erfahrungen zur Genesung von Chronischem Erschöpfungssyndrom (ME/CFS) und Long Covid.
Das Buch zeigt auf, warum diese Krankheitsbilder so viel Verwirrung stiften und wie sie den Heilungsprozess beeinflussen – in einer Zeit, in der die Spätfolgen von Covid in der gesamten Gesellschaft spürbar sind.
Breaking Free ermöglicht es den Leserinnen und Lesern, die wissenschaftlichen Hintergründe der Symptome zu verstehen und zu lernen, wie sie mit dem Körper zusammenarbeiten können, um das vegetative Nervensystem wieder ins Gleichgewicht zu bringen. Sie werden Schritt für Schritt in Ihrem eigenen Tempo angeleitet und erhalten Techniken, um den Genesungsprozess zu beschleunigen. Danach wird aufgezeigt, was dazu gehört, dauerhaft gesund und widerstandsfähig zu bleiben – ganz gleich, welche Herausforderungen das Leben mit sich bringt.
Es gibt keine Magie: Die Antwort liegt in uns selbst.
2026 Updated Edition! Updated with current research and new guidance.
With 265,000 cases in the UK alone, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is more common than people may think, yet is poorly understood. Breaking Free fills this gap in knowledge, providing a route to recovery. Across 9 chapters, it shows that the cycle of exhaustion, poor concentration, loss of memory and pain can be broken and that there is real hope of recovery. In addition to covering CFS, the author outlines connected areas of Post Viral Fatigue (PVF), explaining how to tackle protracted symptoms that can arise following contracting Covid.
Given that in November 2021 it was reported by Office of National Statistics that a staggering 1.1 million people in the UK were experiencing Long Covid symptoms, Breaking Free is more essential than ever. Readers will benefit from the clear and tested step-by-step guide offered by a woman who has not only done it herself, but who has helped 1,000 people fight their way out of a serious condition back to a healthy and productive life.
With the support of a media campaign, readers will find that Breaking Free offers a comprehensive, informative, and supportive guide to recovery from CFS and Long Covid Symptoms that sustains its relevancy and importance.
2026 Updated Edition! Updated with current research and new guidance.
With 265,000 cases in the UK alone, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is more common than people may think, yet is poorly understood. Breaking Free fills this gap in knowledge, providing a route to recovery. Across 9 chapters, it shows that the cycle of exhaustion, poor concentration, loss of memory and pain can be broken and that there is real hope of recovery. In addition to covering CFS, the author outlines connected areas of Post Viral Fatigue (PVF), explaining how to tackle protracted symptoms that can arise following contracting Covid.
Given that in November 2021 it was reported by Office of National Statistics that a staggering 1.1 million people in the UK were experiencing Long Covid symptoms, Breaking Free is more essential than ever. Readers will benefit from the clear and tested step-by-step guide offered by a woman who has not only done it herself, but who has helped 1,000 people fight their way out of a serious condition back to a healthy and productive life.
With the support of a media campaign, readers will find that Breaking Free offers a comprehensive, informative, and supportive guide to recovery from CFS and Long Covid Symptoms that sustains its relevancy and importance.
Please note! This is specifically for the translated, digital ebook of Breaking Free, by Jan Rothney
Pre-sale orders will be fulfilled in late Summer, 2026!
2026 Updated Edition! Updated with current research and new guidance.
With 265,000 cases in the UK alone, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is more common than people may think, yet is poorly understood. Breaking Free fills this gap in knowledge, providing a route to recovery. Across 9 chapters, it shows that the cycle of exhaustion, poor concentration, loss of memory and pain can be broken and that there is real hope of recovery. In addition to covering CFS, the author outlines connected areas of Post Viral Fatigue (PVF), explaining how to tackle protracted symptoms that can arise following contracting Covid.
Given that in November 2021 it was reported by Office of National Statistics that a staggering 1.1 million people in the UK were experiencing Long Covid symptoms, Breaking Free is more essential than ever. Readers will benefit from the clear and tested step-by-step guide offered by a woman who has not only done it herself, but who has helped 1,000 people fight their way out of a serious condition back to a healthy and productive life.
With the support of a media campaign, readers will find that Breaking Free offers a comprehensive, informative, and supportive guide to recovery from CFS and Long Covid Symptoms that sustains its relevancy and importance.
A guide to recovering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, ME and Long Covid
By Jan Rothney
When Jan first wrote Breaking Free, she wanted to offer something she had desperately needed during her own illness: not simply information about living with chronic illness, but a practical and hopeful route towards recovery.
The book explores Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, ME/CFS, Long Covid and post-viral illness through a mind-body perspective, helping readers understand the relationship between symptoms, the brain and nervous system, stress responses, emotions and recovery. Rather than offering a 'magic cure', Jan guides readers step by step through practical techniques they can use at their own pace.
The 2026 edition builds on the original book with updated research and evidence, new guidance and exercises, and a redesigned, more accessible reading experience.
Meet Jan Rothney
Jan Rothney is a former lecturer in Health and Social Care, therapist and health educator whose work combines professional expertise with her own experience of recovering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
After experiencing CFS herself, including a significant relapse, Jan began applying her knowledge of psychology, health, stress and behaviour to her own recovery. She went on to work with people experiencing ME/CFS and post-viral fatigue and developed the Reset to Thrive Recovery Programme, which now complements the approach explored in Breaking Free.
Breaking Free brings that experience together in one accessible resource, giving readers the knowledge and practical tools to better understand their symptoms and approach recovery with confidence and hope.
Looking for extra support? You can also connect directly with Jan and learn more about the Reset to Thrive Recovery Programme, which expands on many of the principles explored in Breaking Free. Find out more here.
