Amy Dodsworth’s Story
“It was a dark time, but I clung to a small spark of optimism, I firmly believed there was a way out of this, I just had to find it.”
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From the Best to the Worst Time of My Life
Was living through one of the best, most exciting years of her life
Returned to East Timor for volunteer work despite gut feeling it was too soon
Began experiencing symptoms abroad: fatigue, dizziness, stomach pain, parasitic infection
Pushed through, continued activities, but eventually crashed
Confined indoors, wondering what had gone wrong
Back in Northern Ireland, My Symptoms Persisted
Expected to recover quickly after returning home and taking antibiotics
Instead, symptoms worsened: constant cycle of brief recovery and crashing
Sought medical answers – saw multiple doctors and specialists
Visited tropical disease clinic in London – no improvement despite further antibiotics
Frustration, misdiagnoses, and increasing uncertainty
The Diagnosis That Brought Relief and Then Despair
Diagnosed with ME/CFS - initially relieved to have a name
Quickly realised rest and traditional treatments weren’t helping
Health deteriorated further: almost entirely bed-bound for 4 years
Struggled with everyday tasks, worsening symptoms, and deep isolation
Refused to believe this would be her permanent reality
Clung to a quiet belief that healing was still possible
Hope & Healing
Discovered Mickel Therapy through a friend
Committed to trying Mind-Body Reconnect (MBR), an evolved form of Mickel Therapy
Learned how emotions and physical health are deeply connected (influenced by Gabor Maté’s work)
Gradual recovery: energy returned, pain eased, life resumed
Regained ability to work, exercise, travel, socialise — without fear of crashing
Now teaches MBR to others as a path out of chronic illness and pain
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Mosquito bite
Tropical infection
Parasites
Emotional stress
Not meeting my needs or setting my boundaries created internal stress that affected my immune system and other body systems
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None
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Mickel Therapy
MBR
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Over 4 years
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Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/amy.mindbodyreconnect/
Website : https://amymbr.com/
Amy’s book recommendations:
When the Body Says No - Gabor Mate
Permission to Feel - Marc Brackett
The Expectation Effect - David Robson
The Highly Sensitive Person - Elaine N.Aron
Atlas of the Heart - Brené Brown
The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying - Bronnie Ware
Connect - David Bradford
From the best to the worst time of my life
In the midst of what was one of the best years of my life, filled with excitement and fun, I headed on a journey to East Timor to do some volunteer work. I had visited earlier in the year to volunteer and felt a connection to the place and its people. However, as I prepared for my second trip, a nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach told me it was too soon after the whirlwind of the past few months. Ignoring this, I pushed those concerns aside and boarded the plane.
As the days in East Timor passed, my body began to send alarming symptoms. Fatigue, dizziness, stomach pain, and a parasitic infection I’d contracted from a mosquito bite started to build in my body. Wanting to make the most of the last bit of our trip & unaware of quite how rough I was beginning to feel, I continued my volunteer work, took a mountain trip and spent time with friends. But eventually I crashed with the symptoms and found myself spending days mostly confined to our apartment, staring at the four walls and wondering what had gone wrong.
Returning to Northern Ireland, I presumed I’d just quickly bounce back, especially since I’d taken antibiotics I was given by a doctor in East Timor. But my health continued to deteriorate. What began as a few troubling symptoms in East Timor turned into a relentless cycle of sickness and recovery that seemed to have no end. This is the story of my journey through illness, the search for answers, and the incredible health transformation I experienced through Mickel therapy/Mind-Body Reconnect (MBR).
“My health deteriorated rapidly, leaving me almost bed-bound (some days I could manage a walk but that would be it for the day) for what would be the next four years of my life.”
Back in Northern Ireland, my symptoms persisted
My life was a rollercoaster of temporary relief and debilitating crashes. I sought help from numerous doctors and specialists, having countless tests and treatments, but no one could provide a definitive diagnosis. Frustration mounted as I was repeatedly misdiagnosed and given treatments that only offered fleeting respite. Determined to find answers, I flew to London to visit a tropical disease clinic. Despite another very strong antibiotic, my health continued to decline, leaving me in a state of constant uncertainty and disappointment .
The lowest point came when I was diagnosed with ME/CFS. Initially I cried with relief to have a name for what was going on in my body and a hope that I would get better now that doctors knew what I had but sadly I soon realised that traditional treatments and rest & more rest weren't working for me. My health deteriorated rapidly, leaving me almost bed-bound (some days I could manage a walk but that would be it for the day) for what would be the next four years of my life. I was unable to perform even basic tasks without overwhelming fatigue and I found myself with a growing list of symptoms. Most simple things felt like an insurmountable challenge, and the isolation of my condition deepened my despair, my hope of healing began to fade. It was a dark time, but I clung to a small spark of optimism, I firmly believed there was a way out of this, I just had to find it. I could not allow myself to believe what I had been told by doctors that what I was experiencing was life long, I could not resign myself to a life with no socialising, no hobbies, no work and stuck within the same four walls. There had to be a way out.
“I got back to being able to work, socialise, exercise, travel and generally living life again.”
Hope & Healing
A friend recommended Mickel therapy. Keen for a solution, I decided to give it a try. Mickel therapy (MBR uses Mickel therapy and extra added tools and techniques from Gabor Mate & others, it is easier to apply & a more advanced version of the therapy ) changed my health. Through this method, I began to understand that, as Dr Gabor Mate teaches, we cannot separate the brain systems that process emotions from the immune system, nervous system, hormonal apparatus and overall health. They are all intimately connected.
With this training I started to regain my health. The debilitating symptoms that once controlled my life began to diminish, and I found myself able to engage in activities I had long missed. It was a process but my energy returned, my pain subsided, I got back to being able to work, socialise, exercise, travel and generally living life again. I no longer fear having another crash in the future since I now have the tools to care for myself. I‘m so grateful for this treatment it has been a turning point in my health.
I now teach this method that got me better to others. If you are struggling with chronic illness or pain and have lost hope, I encourage you to explore MBR.
