How can people deal with its suffering, pain and uncertainty? Psychologist Joseph J. Trunzo and COVID-19 survivor Julie Luongo suggest methods based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help people cope with the pandemic and its after effects. They report that people handling chronic illnesses or the aftermath of trauma have found this approach helpful. … ACT teaches people how to manage what they can control with grace even when life presents them, also, with things they can’t control, such as COVID-19. While people who are ill may not be able to manage their thoughts, they can learn to remain in the present, acknowledge their emotions and take action that manifests their core values. ~ getAbstract, Laura Lesum

Long Haul COVID: A Survivor’s Guide Transform Your Pain and Find Your Way Forward by Joseph J. Trunzo, Julie Luongo is maybe one of the first self-help books directly involving COVID-19. The publishing house of this book is Changemakers Books: once started the pandemic they decided of giving a voice to the problem that appeared because of the Covid-19. Considering that we will still have to cope with COVID and what it means a pandemic for a while, these books can be useful for trying to find some relief. The website of the publishing house is www.resiliencebooks.com. Mahatma Gandhi said once that the future is up to us and what we do today. For sure we have much more responsibilities in terms of life and death than what we had these past years. A vaccine can protect people and entire communities, reducing mortality, hospitalization and the possibility of infecting other people. The pandemic brought on the table of the existence thematic of great immensity. We discovered that our ecosystem re-started to breathe, oh yes, also pretty large, when we were all closed home. Animals re-occupied their places in the past were dominated by us: at the same time, the climate changes assumed different importance, because this one can be just the beginning of a series of pandemics brought by the mutation of meteorological conditions and what is going on in the North and South Pole. Sure, as Americans love to say: We're All in This Together. But... what does it mean? That there is not a person in this world who hasn't been altered by COVID. A pandemic involves every sphere of the human condition: social, economical, psychological, physical, familial. There is not an untouched sphere in this extraordinary condition that won't touch men. No one would want to suffer: this is true, but not seeing what is going on could be worse. The method proposed by the authors for our case (we are all sick from COVID, also if we haven't been yet infected and maybe we won't be, because we don't live anymore with tranquillity but with stress levels pretty high) is called ACT and was firstly studied for other illnesses like the Lyme Syndrome caused by a bite of a tick. While doctors are still debating if this illness exists or not, patients cope with a lot of pains at various levels: physical, psychological. This method, so, has been adopted also for refreshing the body and spirit of people affected by COVID-19. "ACT is grounded in an extremely well-researched model called Relational Frame Theory, which focuses on how our minds form relations and use symbols and language to make connections in our mental processes." This method will help you to live in the present, bettering the quality of your thoughts for staying more tranquil and relaxed. It is good reading. I warmly suggest it to you. ~ Anna Maria Polidori, alfemminile.blogspot.com

This book is an invaluable and easily accessible guide to helping individuals cope and thrive with the challenging impact of Long-Haul COVID. It is also useful to any of us dealing with the impact of living through a pandemic and to individuals who have other health conditions. Dr. Trunzo presents a clear description of the scientifically supported approach called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), including easy to follow instructions, metaphors and exercises to help apply this approach to coping with Long-Haul COVID and the impact this condition can have on functioning and quality of life. These concepts are then brought to life in each chapter through Julie Luongo’s personal accounts with Long-Haul COVID and her tips to readers based on her experience with applying ACT to help her cope and function more fully in life. This book is easy to read and implement and can have the powerful effect of allowing readers to pursue a fulfilling life even in the face of Long-Haul COVID. As a psychologist, I have experienced the impact of ACT with clients, including those suffering from medical conditions. I highly recommend this impactful book that is truly a gift to patients with Long-Haul COVID and the family and friends who support them, as well as to other clinicians, including therapists and medical providers who treat patients with this condition. In fact, I recommend this book to anyone who has been dealing with the various stressors related to the pandemic and also to individuals and caregivers dealing with other health conditions. ~ Dina Harth, PhD, Licensed Psychologist, Vice-President, Pennsylvania Chapter of the Association of Contextual & Behavioral Science

Joe Trunzo and Julie Luongo have packed so much helpful guidance into a concise and easily accessible volume. They deliver on the promise of their sub-title to “Transform Your Pain and Find Your Way Forward,” so that we can make meaning and purpose amid our Covid challenges and craft a life that keeps us connected to the things that deeply matter to us. Joseph’s writing is uncommonly clear, direct, and simple to put into practice, while Julie’s personal examples give life and context, so we can imagine how to apply their approach in our own unique pandemic circumstances. ~ John Armando, LCSW

Dr Trunzo and Ms. Luongo present here a work of great importance during this unprecedented time in human history... specifically OUR personal history. The COVID pandemic has claimed more lives worldwide in the shortest time since its outbreak compared to any other pandemic in history. They inject a voice of authority and calm, guiding us on how to cope with losses, financial and relations. They walk us through each stage of our human and public challenges of the time and leads us with a steady hand in applying the concepts of ACT therapy. As a psychiatrist I find this immensely helpful in helping my own patients make sense of and cope in these most challenging of times. -- Mo Dattu, M.D., Founder of Psychiatric Practice, LLC ~ Mo Dattu, M.D.

Long Haul COVID: A Survivor’s Guide: Transform Your Pain & Find Your Way Forward by Dr. Joseph Trunzo and Julie Luongo is a much welcomed and needed book that not only addresses the severe emotional impact of COVID-19 but more importantly, offers a unique method for living a fruitful life once again. This book is appropriate for both the public and professionals. Dr. Trunzo is an expert in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), an evidenced-based contextual behavioral approach aimed at increasing psychological flexibility in order to address a number of emotional and behavioral-health issues. As he did in his previous book Living Beyond Lyme, Dr. Trunzo again lays a creative foundation for applying the processes of ACT to Long Haul COVID sufferers. This is not your everyday run-in-the mill self-help book. It is well constructed, offering numerous experiential exercises, metaphors, and mindfulness meditations. Throughout the book Dr. Trunzo starts with an overview of each ACT process, then Julie Luongo illustrates how these processes are applied via her real-life experience. A running theme that restores the reader’s hope in regaining emotional wellness is a constant emphasis on achieving psychological flexibility; a perspective that shows how to live a value-chosen life even in the face of hardship. As Dr. Trunzo states very clearly, this comes in the way of practicing the six ACT processes. This book is a special gift to humanity given the immense amount of loss, isolation, and sadness that we all have experienced. Dr. Trunzo eloquently captures the power in all of us to transform desperate conditions into positivity, and by doing so, provides a beacon of hope for living a fulfilling life after the pandemic. ~ Andrew J. D'Amico, PhD, Psychologist and Past President of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Association of Contextual & Behavioral Sciences