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Trial By Error: The Psychosomatic Conference’s Pathetic Response (17 Oct 2018)

Discussion in 'General ME/CFS news' started by Sasha, Oct 17, 2018.

  1. Sasha

    Sasha Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Latest from David Tuller:

    After I posted yesterday’s blog about Per Fink’s upcoming appearance at the fourth annual Columbia Psychosomatic Conference being held this weekend, I received the following e-mail from Columbia’s Alla Landa. She is an assistant professor of “clinical psychology in psychiatry”–whatever that means–and director of the conference.

    I found her note unsatisfactory on multiple fronts, and responded accordingly. My e-mail to her follows below...​

    http://www.virology.ws/2018/10/17/trial-by-error-the-psychosomatic-conferences-lame-response/
     
    TiredSam, mango, Forbin and 19 others like this.
  2. Sasha

    Sasha Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Thank you, @dave30th for being willing to say it like it is:

    For reasons known only to you and the other organizers, you have decided to invite to your gathering a man involved in what can only be called the kidnapping and torture of a vulnerable young Danish woman diagnosed with the illness you have just indicated is a serious organic disease. This kidnapping and torture, conducted with the full authority of the state, was considered justified based on the sorts of claims about functional somatic disorders being presented at Columbia this weekend.​
     
    ladycatlover, mango, Binkie4 and 17 others like this.
  3. Andy

    Andy Committee Member

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    Hmm, her email talks a lot about CII. We probably won't ever know but I reckon some internal discussions may very well have taken place at Columbia about how Fink's invite may have been a mistake. Shame that they weren't sufficient to cancel his invite though.
     
    ladycatlover, Binkie4, Forbin and 9 others like this.
  4. dave30th

    dave30th Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Yes, I would think we can assume this is likely to have happened.
     
    Inara, ladycatlover, mango and 11 others like this.
  5. Barry

    Barry Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Given that his invite is unlikely to be retracted, maybe we should push for some clarification (clear and unambiguous, not muddled "small print") to be announced at the conference, up-front before he speaks, along the lines in Alla Landa's email ...
    Would that be a possibility do you think @dave30th?
     
    ladycatlover, mango, Hutan and 12 others like this.
  6. Sly Saint

    Sly Saint Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Maybe the attendees should be encouraged to watch Unrest?

    In the interview with Per Fink:

    "Interviewer : Fifteen years ago you were put here to find out what functional disorders are.
    Have you found out whether it's a physical or mental disorder?

    Per Fink: No, I absolutely haven't and it's a question which I find impossible to answer."

    anyone in touch with Dr Stig Gerdes? @dave30th
     
  7. dave30th

    dave30th Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    I really don't know. CME courses need to be approved in advance and so on. I don't know how one would deal with a situation like this.
     
    ladycatlover, Binkie4, Joh and 6 others like this.
  8. dreampop

    dreampop Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Nicely written, specifically about the core issues of inviting a human rights violator to a medical conference at Columbia, while also touching on the concept and application of psychosomatic "medicine" as a whole.

    Always curious at how a mental illness manifests as a physical disorder and how it can be diagnosed (by exlcusion and the totally subjective decision of excess worry). So, I took a look at Landa's research, since as an expert, I'm sure she could shed light on this.

    In 2012, it's "results showed that the unmet need for closeness with others was the main internal representation of relationships in 90% of the patients and in only 10% of controls; it was also the strongest predictor of somatization syndrome diagnosis." Now I couldn't find the whole study. But I'm willing to guess that 'relationships' interview was done AFTER the disabling symptoms. Hm. So, people in pain without a real diagnosis are lonelier. Let's retrospectively suspect that "has direct implications.... their etiology". So looks like there still figuring out how to do basic research, but I'm sure we'll get there.

    Brian Fallon is a well knon post-lyme guy.
     
    ladycatlover, Binkie4, Atle and 4 others like this.
  9. Forbin

    Forbin Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    I would hate to speculate about such a conversation, but...

    "Hey, the University just got a $9.6 million grant from the NIH to search for the biological causes of ME/CFS. Thanks for inviting speakers here who probably think we should give it back. That's great publicity for us."
     
  10. Pechius

    Pechius Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    @dave30th Sorry if this has alrrady been addressed, but is there any particular reason why you removed Disqus coment box? I kinda liked it. It was easier to respond and see the whole comment tree.
     
    andypants and ladycatlover like this.

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