CLARE'S FOUND A WAY OUT OF ME

09:00 - 29 November 2007

There have been days when ME sufferer Clare Hudman spent 23 hours out of the 24 in bed.For seven years, the Stroud mum, struggled with the constraints of her illness before stumbling on a course which changed her life.

Today, Clare, 49, is healthy and energetic and has retrained so that she can help others rebuild their lives.

Clare, of Springhill, was diagnosed with Post-viral Fatigue Syndrome in her early 40s, when her daughter was just five.

This condition is also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis), which is recognised by the World Health Organisation as condition characterised by long-term tiredness and other symptoms.

It is estimated 150,000 people in the UK have the condition.

Clare's illness began with a bad bout of flu followed by repeated infections and although she expected to make a recovery, she never did.

"I ended up in bed 23 hours out of 24. I was unable to listen to the radio and unable to read."

She always suffered from terrible tiredness and lack of energy.

"I learnt to manage my life around ME. I had to rest for three hours before going out. I would wake up in the morning and wonder if I had the energy to go into town - a five minute walk," she said.

Stairs were a problem so Clare would make sure she would take everything she needed for the day downstairs in the morning.

After seven years of living with the condition, Clare had almost given up hope, when a GP friend told her about the Lightning Process, which is not a therapy but a training programme for thought processes. She travelled to Wales in June 2006 to train

The Lightning Process involves physical and verbal exercises and a combination of osteopathy, neurolinguistic programming (NLP), self-hypnosis and life coaching.

The aim is to change thought processes which cause stress reactions in the body.

Immediately after the three-day course, Clare went camping with her family.

The transformation in her health was dramatic. She was enjoying cliff top walks and body surfing.

She was so delighted to have regained her energy, and indeed her life, that after a year's study, she has now become qualified to teach the Lightning Process.

"I started out feeling that there was no hope, then I learnt how to get myself better, and now I'm able to teach other people and see them getting better.

She said the process is not a cure but a tool for recovery which can have dramatic effects on physical health.

"It's a training course to give you the tools to change your life and get a life you love. I'm happier now than I can ever remember being."

Clare is running her next course of the Lightning Process at Stroud's Hawkwood College on December 17, 18, and 19.

To find out more log on to http://www.therightplace.net/getbetter or call her on 01453 750382.