Long Covid took Ben's life away... this is how he got it back

A dad who has been battling long Covid symptoms for three years has urged other sufferers to seek help from the service that changed his life.

Ben Stubbs, 48, from Stockport, enjoyed his job as a painter and decorator before he caught the virus. But after he developed the chronic condition long Covid, he was left 'in a really dark place'.

After receiving NHS support in Greater Manchester, Ben says his life has changed. But it's been a long road to get to this point.

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Within months of contracting Covid, Ben found himself unable to walk upstairs, take the bins out or cook a meal without becoming breathless.

He reached out for help and had a series of physical health checks and tests performed but nothing helped to ease the problem.

Feeling frustrated, confused and hopeless for the future, the dad-of-two became so isolated he wouldn’t leave his home for anything other than a medical appointment.

After the birth of his second child, Ben was relieved to have a new focus and distraction.

But months later, his mental health deteriorated again as his physical condition was preventing him from being as involved as he wanted to be.

“I felt guilty and ashamed that I couldn’t support my family in the way I wanted to,” he said. “I had no energy to do anything. My life as I knew it had been taken away from me. I was in a really dark place.”

In late 2022, Ben was referred to a psychological medicine post-covid service run by Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust.

It aims to support people in Greater Manchester who are living with complex physical, emotional and cognitive problems following covid.

He started to see senior cognitive behavioural therapist Karen Taylor who had face-to-face sessions with Ben on a regular basis.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better person. Karen was so understanding and validated the way I was feeling,” Ben said. “She taught me to accept the situation and change my mindset to focus on what I can still do, rather than what I cannot.”

The sessions focused on mindfulness and coping techniques, as well as the chance to meet other people living with long Covid. “I felt listened to and truly understood for the first time,” he added. “Karen explained that this would be a slow process with bumps in the road. She gave me realistic expectations.”

Karen worked closely with Stockport long Covid physical health service, who provide physiotherapy, to discuss appropriate treatment for Ben. He has since revealed these sessions helped him feel more confident in his body.

“I’d tried this route before with another provider and felt like I was set up to fail with unrealistic and complex exercises,” he added.

“The service understood more about my abilities and gave me slow, simple exercises that I could do in bed or on the sofa at home. It gave me the boost I needed to feel more confident, and a hope for a better future.”

Ben is now keen to reduce the stigma around men’s mental health and wellbeing and recommends mindfulness to anyone he can.

Although his physical health is making slower progress, he feels that he is in a much better place with his mental health and wants to become a volunteer to support others.

“If you believe you have long Covid, ask to be referred to this service,” he added, “They’ll help you get your life back on track and is something positive to focus on. They have changed my life and I am eternally grateful for their support.”

Karen Taylor, senior cognitive behavioural therapist, explained more about the service: “We work with local long Covid assessment services and focus on personalised holistic care to help people self-manage physical and psychological symptoms to improve their quality of life.

“We’re delighted to hear that our work has helped Ben and we wish him all the very best for a brighter future.”

A GP or health professional can refer eligible people living in Bury, Heywood, Middleton, Rochdale, Stockport, Oldham and Tameside and Glossop to the service. More details can be found by clicking the link here.