Brain retraining is packaged mindset work that has also been called limbic system retraining or amygdala retraining. It is based on the principles of neuroplasticity (our ability to change our brain using thoughts and actions). This is considered a top-down approach to calming and rebuilding a strong nervous system and healing the overactive (possibly injured) fight or flight response that starts in our brain. 

If you are new to nervous system work it can be helpful to understand how brain retraining sits within the broader group of mind body therapies for ME/CFS.

There are 5 key elements in the theory behind brain retraining for CFS: 

1. The limbic system in our brains seems to be overactive in ME/CFS 

2. The pathways in the brain are mailable and we can calm and change the resiliency of the brain by learning activities that focus on altering our thought patterns 

3. The paths we use more often build up over time, whereas one’s we don’t practice using get overgrown like an abandoned highway. (ie. if we learn to think more positively we will naturally start to use those positive pathways) 

4. Neuroplasticity science shows that by practicing using the new pathways the brain can change and heal physical issues 

5. Practicing visualisation can also change the brain because the brain picks up on these signals and will gradually make our thoughts a reality

Why is brain retraining controversial?

Different programs teach different neuroplasticity exercises to foster the changes explained above. They mostly centre around 5 major brain retraining techniques. 

ME/CFS is not a psychological illness, however, since it is a nervous system disorder and brain pathways are malleable, the things we think about are very influential in what happens throughout our bodily systems. For a deep dive into neuroplasticity check out this article or the book The Brain That Changes Itself by Dr. Norman Dodge. 

There are definitely people who recover from chronic fatigue syndrome entirely through brain retraining and mindset work alone. Brain retraining can be useful for calming the nervous system, however, it can also be a band-aid. 

Brain retraining is often based in positive psychology. By changing our thoughts to focus on the positive all the time we reroute pathways in the brain. For people who have a lot of pessimistic thoughts or fixate on symptoms, brain retraining is great at shifting them into a more positive mindset. This helps reduce their stress response and over active nervous system. When the body is calmer then healing can take place.

However brain retraining may not always be getting to the root of what caused people to develop these negative thinking processes in the first place. They may have deeper traumas/triggers, need somatic bodywork or have personality traits that need to be addressed in order to heal chronic fatigue syndrome and ensure they don’t relapse back to old ways at some point. Undiscovered pathogens and ongoing exposures to mould should also be ruled out if brain retraining is not working. 

Why does brain retraining divide opinion in the ME/CFS community?

There are many brain-retraining programs currently available. Each has a slightly different style of teaching and perspective on how it should be done. There is no “best” program unfortunately. Different programs work for different people and it is important to research the creators style and framework in order to find the best match for you. Some examples of popular programs available include:

DNRS is a popular online video-based course by Annie Hopper that provides science education on limbic system impairment and neuroplasticity, a clear list of patterns of limbic system impairment to rewire, and a 9-step narrative for brain retraining rounds that includes visualisations. Highly encourages 1 hour of practice per day. $349.95 for 1-year access to videos and lifetime access to community forum. Add-on group and 1-2-1 support.

ANS Rewire is an online holistic brain retraining program by Dan Neuffer that provides detailed scientific background, tools, and physical strategies for correcting autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction. Targeted to people recovering from CFS/ME, POTS, fibromyalgia, and chemical sensitivities. There is a 5-step brain retraining sequence with no visualisation element. Video lessons delivered daily over 6 weeks. Includes multiple guided meditations. ~$316 (457 AUD) for 2-year access. Add-on 1-2-1 support. 

Gupta Program by Ashok Gupta is an online brain retraining, mindfulness, and holistic program with 15 video-based modules, that helps you retrain your amygdala, relax the nervous system, and gently re-engage in activities you love. Includes detailed scientific explanations and a 7-step brain retraining sequence. It also includes guidance on acceptance, diet, pacing, mindfulness, parts work, and sleep and has a large meditation component. $349 for 1 year access. Free forum and monthly webinars. Add-on small group coaching or 1-2-1 support. 

Re-Origin by Ben Ahrens is a relatively new neuroscience-based brain retraining program with a more flexible approach (it provides alternatives to visualisations and says 30 minutes of daily practice is great). Available via web or user-friendly mobile app. $297 for core program and forum. Add-on group and 1-2-1 coaching packages available.

Vital-Side: Rewire by Lindsay Mitchell is a modern, flexible, playful, and self-compassionate foundational brain retraining program that also contains quick autonomic nervous system regulation tools like visualisation techniques, EFT tapping, and somatic practices. Available via web or user-friendly mobile app. $349 for one year access. Forum included. Add-on group and 1-2-1 coaching available.

There are also many online programs that include brain-retraining in addition to other modalities such as polyvagal theory and trauma healing techniques. Popular ones include Primal Trust by Dr Cathleen King, CFS School by Jennifer Mann and Karden Rabin and (the free) Alignment Recovery Program by Daniel van Loosbroek. 

For an in-depth look at all the brain retraining programs and other online recovery programs available, check out my comprehensive CFS Recovery Program Guide.

Brain retraining courses are very effective for people who have a lot of pessimistic thoughts, fixate on symptoms, have catastrophizing thoughts, self blame, guilt, shame, as well as those who have low self-esteem. 

It may be that a person got into a pattern with these thoughts because their body found them helpful as a protective mechanism (for example predicting the future is an attempt to protect you from the unknown). 

When you find neuroplasticity exercises that work for you and you practice, you are likely to have at least some benefit.

Truly any symptom that has been created by a nervous system dysfunction. I’m not saying that it can cure any illness. Unlike illness, symptoms are created by the brain as protective mechanisms to send warning to us that something is wrong. For ME/CFS nervous system dysregulation is at the heart of our illness. Even if the symptoms are related to dysfunctions in other systems, by addressing the core issue, symptoms of any kind can be relieved overtime.

If you’d like a deeper understanding of how mind body therapy works and how to start in a way that feels manageable, read my full guide to mind body therapy for ME/CFS.

It is important to understand that healing takes time. None of the mind body therapies will heal you instantly. It could take anywhere from a few months to a few years depending on how dysregulated your nervous system is, how quickly you find tools that work for you as well as other environmental factors that may arise in your life (for better or worse). 

If anyone selling a mind-body program gives you a timeline I would say to take this as a red flag.

There are several factors why this might be. First, they may not have done a program that suited their learning style or they didn’t resonate with the instructor. They also may not have fully engaged in the practices. This is not out of blame that I say this but from personal experience! Another reason may be that it was not what their system needed (or was ready for) at the time.

For people with perfectionist tendencies it can trigger a stress response in our nervous system. If we obsessively try to catch every negative thought pattern or are practicing an entire hour a day without grace, we can do more harm than good when it is stressing us out. 

If someone has truly tried brain retraining, somatic bodywork, self-discovery work, trauma work, lifestyle changes and pacing but seen no results I would encourage them to dig deeper with a functional medicine doctor. There are cases of people who have bacterial infections or ongoing severe mould exposures, or other infections that mind body work cannot address.

People who are very skeptical can often struggle to adapt to some of these practices. 

Changing your beliefs or approach to healing can be scary, because newness and risk of failure is scary. We also might have had a childhood where we were criticised for trying new things and failing or where we were taught certain things were silly to try. I believe an exploration of resistance to trying any of these areas could be worthwhile if you are one of these individuals. 

Yes fear around symptoms is only one of the negative thought patterns that can be retrained. 

To the brain visualisation can be as powerful as actually being in a situation in real life. Visualising yourself walking or socialising can help facilitate healing. If the brain likes how you feel when you’re visualising it can slowly adapt neural pathways to help you get there consistently in life. 

There’s also tons of science around other mindset practices, such as gratefulness and concentrating on our wins and how these can influence our health. Just by adjusting your thoughts to focus on these areas, brain retraining could help you recover from chronic fatigue syndrome.

No. As with ME/CFS, the pain symptoms are real. If you have chronic pain, however, your body is giving you that symptom in order to protect you. The amygdala in the limbic system is using pain to get your attention and asking you to make changes. I would encourage people to continue searching for why your body is giving you the pain signals, asking you to make changes. 

Your functional medicine practitioner is likely not wrong. But it doesn’t explain why your hormones and gut became dysregulated in the first place. These are often symptoms of nervous system dysregulation. 

I can tell you, without a doubt, that hormonal issues were a piece of my ME/CFS. This has been confirmed by a test. However these issues have regulated themselves over time by using mind body techniques. 

If you can find a drug to help, I almost always say go for it! Learning these techniques as well, however, may lead to a more sustainable healing strategy.

When brain retraining it is a fine balance between acknowledging your symptoms without fear then changing focus, and listening to your body and adjusting your action accordingly. If your body is giving small warning signs, like a bit of pain or a small headache, I would personally tell my body, “thank you for trying to protect me, but I’m okay” and continue my activities.

However if you’re getting a feeling that you’re doing too much, it’s likely best to stop, have a rest and listen to your body (not out of fear but out of self love). Never push to a point where you feel really bad. ME/CFS is a cellular disorder on top of being a limbic disorder and therefore we do need to increase our activity slowly in order for our cells to adjust to new levels of activity safely. 

Personally, I took DNRS (dynamic neural retraining system) in 2018. I initially made a huge improvement in a very short amount of time. I saw myself hiking, socialising and dancing in my visualisations. I also started focusing more on gratitude and on my successes, rather than what was going wrong. 

After six months of regular practice, I had gone from being able to take about 1000 steps to 8000 steps. This improvement showed me that neuroplasticity could indeed be an effective technique for healing.

Unfortunately, I had another two huge crashes after this which taught me that brain retraining wasn’t the entire picture for me. It didn’t protect me from the effects of a medication change or a mould exposure or a period of social isolation. I now understand that my nervous system needed more healing to create a really robust recovery. I feel now that I wasn’t “ready” to heal in a way. I continued to use brain retraining in my healing journey, (in fact it helped a lot at certain stages), however I still needed to add techniques from the other areas of mind body work. 

Watch Lindsay’s Severe ME recovery story

As a mind body resource guide and online programs navigator, I help individuals find what might work best for them based on many factors. If you are interested in my help check out my services and free podcast at Lindsayvine.com. I have also developed an in-depth Online CFS Recovery Programs Guide

• Brain retraining: the concerns & criticisms
• How mind body therapy can help ME/CFS
• How brain retraining improved Vilborg’s ME/CFS

• How to rewire your brain and tame your dark memories – BBC
• How to rewire your brain – Colorado State University 
• The science of habit, self directed neuroplasticity – Healthline