Mid and South Essex Long Covid Service

19/11/2025

19/11/2025

The team are excited to announce that after a lot of requests we are finally in position to start a new support group location in Basildon.

This will run on a trial basis for 6 months.

So please come down and show your support in the new year!

19/11/2025

Today is !

The 2025 theme is “Celebrating Men and Boys”. Let's celebrate the positive value men bring to the world, their families and communities as we raise awareness of men’s wellbeing.

To celebrate men's mental health month, our service is launching a brand new webinar: An Introduction to Men's Mental Health. Find out more and sign up here: www.hpft-talkingtherapies.nhs.uk/resources-and-self-help/webinars/introduction-mens-mental-health

You can learn more and explore ways to support the men in your life at the official IMD website: https://internationalmensday.com/

19/11/2025

Some doctors have recently questioned whether people with Long COVID have "true autonomic dysfunction." Say what?!!!

Last week, Dysautonomia International president Lauren Stiles and Stanford autonomic neurologist Dr. Mitch Miglis published a journal article firmly replying to the doubting doctors, which you can read here: https://rdcu.be/eQDyB

Lauren and Dr. Miglis previously published two large cohort survey based studies documenting a high rate of POTS and broader autonomic dysfunction in Long COVID patients, and many other researchers have published similar findings from many other long COVID and autonomic clinics. There is also research showing viral infection of the autonomic nerves and structural damage to the autonomic nerves in animal models of COVID, human autopsies following COVID infection, and in people who have Long COVID. To doubt there is autonomic dysfunction in Long COVID is to ignore the overwhelming body of evidence that has been published by researchers around the world.

We need doctors to move beyond the doubting debbie mindset and get to work finding more effective treatments for tens of millions of people suffering from Long COVID associated dysautonomia, and ALL forms of dysautonomia.

If you would like to support Dysautonomia International's research efforts, and our work fighting for better patient care, please consider making a contribution at www.CureDys.org

18/11/2025

Have your say – help us create the PoTS Passport!

A small team within PoTS UK are developing something we’re calling the PoTS Passport.

This document can be filled in and taken to appointments, or embedded in your hospital notes for inpatient stays or surgery. Our hope is that it will help ensure the people in charge of your care understand what you need day to day.

It can be used even if your appointment or hospital stay isn’t PoTS related, helping make sure you receive the right care without worsening your baseline symptoms.

We know many healthcare professionals aren’t familiar with PoTS and similar conditions, so we hope this tool will reduce the need to repeatedly explain your condition, making the whole experience a little easier and less stressful.

We’re still in the early stages and would love to hear your views! Please take a couple of minutes to complete our short survey and tell us what you’d like to see included.💜
👉 https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/585CDW3

18/11/2025

I couldn’t figure out why I felt so unwell until I found MCAS.
Are you still searching for answers? could be your missing piece.

18/11/2025

🌿 𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝘂𝗻 𝗮 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘅 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵? 💙

We’d love to help more residents find you.

Whether you’re a community café, peer support group, gentle exercise class, craft group, Men’s Shed, wellbeing charity or social meet-up — if your group helps people feel supported and less alone, please add your details to www.essexmap.co.uk

Listings are free, quick to set up, and make a real difference in helping people find local support when they need it.

👉🏼 Add or update your listing here: www.essexmap.co.uk or email communications@essexalliance.org.uk

12/11/2025

12/11/2025

11/11/2025

11/11/2025

💙“Man up.” “Don’t cry.” “Be strong.”

These words might sound harmless, but they can stop men from opening up when they’re struggling.
Toxic masculinity tells men that showing emotion is weakness, when in reality, vulnerability takes real strength.

This Men’s Health Month, let’s change the conversation.

💙 Check in on your mates.
💙 Listen without judgement.
💙 Remind them it’s okay not to be okay.

11/11/2025