“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.
Dr. James “Jim” Jackson is a world-renowned expert on the effects of illness, and long Covid, on cognitive functioning. A licensed psychologist and a pioneer in the investigation of Post Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS), he is a research professor of Medicine and Psychiatry and the Director of Behavioral Health at the ICU Recovery Center at Vanderbilt. He also serves as the Director of Long‑Term Outcomes at the Critical Illness, Brain Dysfunction, and Survivorship (CIBS) Center.
"Dr. Jackson expertly and compassionately explores the realities of Long Covid—from anxiety to brain fog—and reveals the actions we can take to support and empower ourselves and our loved ones. An essential guide for everyone touched by Long Covid.”—Mark Hyman, MD, author of Young Forever
“Clearing the Fog is a thoughtful and practical resource for people with long Covid. Dr. Jackson draws on his own personal experiences with managing his mental health as well as the experiences of his patients to provide a guide on how to manage the challenges of long Covid.”—Sanjay Gupta, author of Keep Sharp
“A timely and essential book. Jackson is a world-renowned expert on the effects of illness on cognitive functioning, and he seamlessly weaves together patient narratives, his own personal struggles, and cutting-edge research to create a uniquely empowering and insightful book. Clearing the Fog is not only for those suffering from Long Covid; it should be read by family members, by healthcare workers, by anyone who has been touched by this pandemic—which is, ultimately, all of us.”—Daniela Lamas, author of You Can Stop Humming Now
“For two decades, I’ve witnessed my colleague, Dr. Jim Jackson, expertly care for and support patients struggling with newly-acquired cognitive impairment and mental health difficulties after illness and into survivorship. His wisdom and empathy—on display throughout the pandemic in his treatment of patients with Long Covid—is distilled here on the pages of Clearing the Fog, a kind, profoundly human, and practical resource for long haulers, their families, and Health Care professionals. Grounded in science and guided by compassion, Clearing the Fog presents a way forward to the millions navigating Long Covid and other chronic illnesses such as ME/CFS, Long Lyme, or fibromyalgia, people who have been dismissed for far too long. Dr. Jackson has listened to their concerns and provides solutions wherever possible and empathy when answers remain elusive. His book fulfills a driving unmet need in the literature and will bring hope to many.”—Wes Ely, MD, author of Every Deep-Drawn Breath
“Clearing the Fog is full of invaluable—potentially life-saving—information and could be an indispensable handbook for millions of patients. Dr. Jackson clearly lays out how to accept your illness, take steps to find specialist health providers or support services, and build a new life amid Long Covid. Following these steps may well save your career, your marriage, or your most deeply held dreams.”—Ryan Prior, author of The Long Haul
“Dr. Jim Jackson, displaying his deep expertise and even deeper humanity, has produced a guide that provides a path forward for people living with long COVID, and for many more managing other severe, chronic conditions. The sheer abundance of useful strategies is astonishing—and conveyed in ways that are uplifting and encouraging. This book is sure to transform lives, enabling people to make meaningful progress despite dire health challenges.”—Dr. Harlan Krumholz, Director of the Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Yale School of Medicine
