Many autistic people and those with ADHD experience eating in ways that don’t fit typical expectations. What’s sometimes seen as “picky eating” often reflects genuine sensory or cognitive differences that can make food challenging. It is important as clinicians working with people with these condtions’s, that we have an understanding about this. In this blog, our Associate Specialist Dietician & Nutrition Consultant shares her thoughts on this area.

Why do our clients often have dysregulated breathing patterns?

What does this actually mean?

How can it be changed?

Our Specialist Physiotherapist, Emily Tims, has a video chat with Charlie about her clinical and personal experience in this area of breathing patterns. As someone with asthma as a teenager who was very keen on sports, this led her to train to be a Physiotherapist initially.

What are the similarities and differences with symptoms of autistic burnout and other fatigue conditions that we see?

One of our team members shares her experiences of being autistic and having an ME/CFS diagnosis.

Our Managing Director shares what she is observing in the case load with fatigue whom we support and asks,

• Why do some individuals experience fatigue more severely or persistently than others?

• Are there identifiable underlying mechanisms?

• What functional and psychosocial challenges arise from chronic fatigue?

• How can targeted interventions best support those affected?

Here at Vitality360, we have been witnessing an emerging trend with a significant percentage of our client group who come to us as experts in fatigue and pain management are reporting suspected or diagnosed ADHD/Autism. People with ADHD and autism often report significant fatigue, a profound mental and physical exhaustion that isn’t just being “lazy” or tired. This fatigue usually comes from a combination of biological, cognitive, and environmental factors rather than any single cause.

In this blog, we look at key reasons this happens, focusing on shared characteristics as well as those unique to ADHD or autism.

Dafydd, our guest blogger, writes about his personal experience of fatigue associated with Visual Impairment (VI)

He provides insight into why fatigue is prevalent in this population and shares some strategies which help him do the things he wants to do.

Low back pain is very common, and most people have it at some point in their lives. It affects people of all ages and all socio-economic statuses. It is the leading cause of disability worldwide and the number of people affected is increasing.

Does an anti-inflammatory diet help Long Covid symptoms? What are the signs of malnutrition? Is the gut microbe important? What about histamine intolerance?

Interesting questions to consider for those suffering with fatigue symptoms following a Covid infection as our Specialist Dietician and Nutrition Consultant, considers five years on, what we know about long covid/Post Covid Fatigue Syndrome and diet?

If cyber crime were a legitimate industry it would be the third largest economy in the world according to a recent article. How can a small business handling sensitive health data continue to ensure data is protected?

Does the very thought of planning a holiday leave you feeling exhausted? The idea of a long journey and sleeping in a different bed is enough to raise your anxiety levels before you even consider the expectations of yourself or others regarding what you will do whilst on holiday. Isn’t it supposed to be pleasurable or, at the very least, somewhat relaxing?

Having a diagnosis of ME/CFS or Fibromyalgia or Long Covid is not necessarily an end to engaging with activities including working. Here one of our team shares something of her personal experience of sustaining work whilst managing fatigue symptoms aswell as many accounts from past clients who have also been supported, through our specialist programmes, to re-enter work in some capacity.

In this article, Katherine Sewell, employed by Vitality360 in an HR role, shares her personal experience of returning to and sustaining work with long-term pain and fatigue symptoms. Vitality360 is a rehabilitation provider working to support people with persistent pain or fatigue to return to and/or sustain work. With her HR expertise alongside her lived experience of a chronic health condition, Katherine looks at some of the ways that HR departments/OH Providers/Employers can support people in a similar situation - including the use of activity management diaries, how to empower people considering capability vs capacity, and how to enable employees and employers to explore some of the issues collaboratively, utilising back to work planning.

As someone who has had ME/CFS for twenty years and counting, my heart skips an excited beat when my social media feeds alert me to a new intervention that claims it will help ease my symptoms or even lead to a full recovery like the one below! Are they worth investing in?

Here we offer our thoughts on various gadgets of this type.

What are the similarities and differences with symptoms of autistic burnout and other fatigue conditions that we see?

One of our team members shares her experiences of being autistic and having an ME/CFS diagnosis.

Known as National Sickie Day in the UK, the first Monday of every February is statistically the day when most workers are likely to call in sick, according to research first conducted by British law firm ELAS in 2011.

Experts attribute this to a combination of gloomy weather, post-holiday blues, and seasonal illnesses. What does one of our team, who is a specialist supporting people to sustain work with long term health issues, think about this?

It’s that time of year again when I decide that the moment has come to create a list of intentions and resolutions. Once the initial momentum of a shiny, fresh new year has dissolved into the relentless greyness of January and February it can be only a matter of time before the resolutions are pretty much discarded amidst a haze of vague guilt.

When planning a conference, or in fact any of our training, I always consider how people with fatigue can access it. I hope that the fact that the conference is online will in itself make it more accessible. We have deliberately scheduled regular breaks throughout the day to rest, move and get some refreshments, and asked all our speakers to stick to their allotted time slot. However we are aware that some participants will not manage a full day therefore we are recording every session and will make these available to participants for 2 months afterwards. That hopefully means that they can be viewed at a pace that suits you.

Burnout is a serious issue that can have a significant impact on your personal and professional life. By taking steps to manage stress and prioritise your well-being, you can prevent burnout and live a healthier, happier life.

We have an exciting range of speakers who are preparing for our forthcoming fatigue conference. In this blog, one of our team, Katherine, shares some of her experience of living with fatigue and what she is looking forward to hearing more about in this regard from our speakers.

“Fibromyalgia: It's like having an orchestra of discomfort playing in various parts of your body.”

In our latest blog we share some of our clients’ experiences of living with this often misunderstood condition.