“Too Good to Be True” Thinking in Recovery: Why It Happens and How to Overcome It
If you’ve been stuck in a cycle of chronic fatigue, long COVID, or nervous system symptoms that never fully go away, it’s easy to lose faith in the idea of full recovery. You might be able to function — maybe even work, travel, or socialize — but that lingering discomfort, exhaustion, or brain fog seems to follow you everywhere.
Even when you do start to feel better, a new thought creeps in:
“This is too good to be true.”
Let’s talk about that — and why it’s actually a sign you’re moving in the right direction.
Why Recovery Starts to Feel “Too Good to Be True”
If you’ve been unwell for a while, chances are your progress has come in short-lived bursts. You take two steps forward, only to fall back again. You feel a glimpse of normal, but it disappears within days. After enough cycles of this, your brain begins to expect disappointment. You stop trusting the good days.
This isn’t you being negative — it’s your brain trying to protect you. It assumes that if you start to feel better again, you might overdo it… and crash. It creates doubt to keep you in what it sees as a “safe zone.”
This is a natural part of the recovery process. But it’s also a mental trap.
Real Recovery Is Possible — But Your Brain Might Resist
We’ve seen it over and over again inside the Recovery Academy — people go from bedbound to walking outdoors, from barely functioning to visiting museums and shopping with their families again. And when it happens faster than expected, the most common reaction?
“This feels too good to be true.”
There’s even a biological reason behind this. A hypersensitive nervous system doesn’t just respond to physical triggers — it reacts to mental and emotional ones too. This includes hope, excitement, or new progress. The brain doesn’t know if it’s safe to let you move forward yet, so it throws doubts your way.
Why This Thinking Doesn’t Have to Hold You Back
Here’s the difference between temporary improvement and sustainable recovery:
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If you’re guessing your way forward, you may get better for a while — but relapse is likely.
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If you understand why you’re improving and what’s causing your symptoms, you can make lasting progress.
That’s why frameworks matter. When you follow a repeatable process based on how the nervous system works, your recovery becomes predictable. It stops feeling like guesswork — and starts feeling like a formula.
One example: in the Recovery Foundations Masterclass, we break down exactly how to avoid doing too much, too soon — and how to support your system in a way that builds momentum without triggering a crash.
So yes, you might feel like your progress is happening “too fast.” But as long as you understand the principles that got you there, it’s not luck. It’s strategy.
What to Do When You Start Thinking “This Won’t Last”
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Acknowledge the thought — but don’t believe it.
This is just your brain being cautious. You don’t have to argue with it. Just say, “I see you — but I’m going to keep going.” -
Track your wins, even the small ones.
Writing them down or recording voice notes helps rewire your brain to believe that good things are happening — and they’re real. -
Stick to your recovery framework.
Don’t chase the progress by adding more activity. Follow the plan that got you there — and let your system adjust at its own pace. -
Remember: fear is just a survival mechanism.
Your brain isn’t trying to sabotage you. It’s trying to keep you safe. But it’s okay to tell it, “Thanks — but I’ve got this.”
Final Thoughts
If you’ve been burned before by false starts or setbacks, it’s normal to doubt your recovery. But recovery is not only possible — it’s repeatable when done the right way.
You don’t need to figure this all out on your own. You just need the right support and tools to retrain your nervous system and break the cycle of fear, flare-ups, and frustration.
📘 Ready to Stop Guessing?
Get free access to the Recovery Foundations Masterclass — a clear, step-by-step guide that teaches you the science behind nervous system recovery and how to move forward with confidence.