“Full Recovery from PPPD — How I Got My Life Back”

Key Wellness / Recovery Strategies (PPPD Case)

Get answers without getting stuck in the “nothing is wrong” spiral

• Multiple medical evaluations (GP, ENT, neurology, rheumatology, MRI/scans) can leave you frustrated when results are normal.
• The video highlights how common the feeling is that “there must be something”—and how that mindset can fuel a worsening anxiety/doubt cycle.

Treat anxiety as part of the system (but don’t assume it’s the only cause)

• Anxiety showed up alongside dizziness and off-balance symptoms.
• Medication helped substantially:
  • Started at high-dose sertraline (200 mg)
  • Later reduced to low dose (25 mg) and weaned off
• Nuance: anxiety may amplify symptoms, but the recovery plan still focused on the core PPPD pattern, not labeling everything as “just anxiety.”

Use targeted exercises as the main recovery tool (via an app/program)

• The program’s effect was described as transformative, leading to near-complete clearance.
• Early improvements were noticed within 2–3 days, with vision/visual calibration starting to feel more “right.”
• “Ups and downs” continued, but the overall trend improved week by week.

Follow the exercise principle: “challenging but not stressful”

• Exercises should apply consistent pressure so the brain can adapt.
• The goal is not to push so hard that you crash and need a long recovery, such as:
  • Feeling awful for half an hour
  • Needing hours off to recover

Use an “update loop” for flares

• If symptoms returned on an off day, the approach was to reopen the app and do a few exercises to regain progress.

Leverage distraction effects—while building independence from them

• Symptoms improved when the person stayed busy/distracted (e.g., focused work/tasks, police role duties).
• Symptoms worsened at rest, which is common in PPPD.
• Recovery reduced reliance on distraction and made symptoms less intrusive.

Gradually reduce functional limitations

• Early on, the person limited social activities (avoided seeing friends/cafes), cut hours, and took time off.
• As improvement continued, they returned to a more normal routine and could present at work again (even though presenting could still naturally trigger some anxiety).

Address brain fog by reducing symptom loading over time

• Brain fog was especially noticeable with intensive focus tasks (e.g., spreadsheets).
• With continued exercises, brain fog faded to “very rarely.”

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Presenters / Sources Mentioned (in Subtitles)

• Miles (guest/patient)
• Jay Key (mentioned by Miles’ mother; referenced as the dizziness specialist)
• Miles’ GP / medical specialists referenced (no individual names provided):
  • ENT consultant
  • Neurologist
  • Rheumatologist
• Sertraline (medication referenced as a treatment; not a person)