"Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Psychological or Physical Diseases?"

A high level of lifetime depression and anxiety is also seen in FM and CFS/ME patients, along with those suffering from many other chronic illnesses, but it is not clear to what extent this represents psychological vulnerability or the consequence of living with a chronic debilitating illness (1,4,7). However, it is notable that a large number of sufferers do not meet the criteria for psychological disorders, which suggests that many patients are actually extremely mentally resilient, particularly in the face of the physical suffering inherent in living with one of these conditions (1,7). Furthermore, while patients experiencing major depression may report pain symptoms, they do not necessarily fulfil the criteria necessary for a diagnosis of a pain condition such as FM (4,7).
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There is also little evidence that psychological treatments are sufficient on their own to effect a cure for CRPS, FM and CFS/ME (1,4,6). In particular, the findings of the PACE trial have proved to be very controversial. This study claimed that cognitive behavioural therapy and graded exercise therapy moderately improved outcomes for patients with CFS/ME. However, numerous methodological criticisms of the study have been raised and a re-analysis of the data showed that, after correction for reporting biases, rates of recovery were consistently low and did not differ significantly across treatment groups. Any significant effects were almost entirely confined to self-reported measures of improvement and did not last longer than two years (10). Given all of this evidence, official guidelines now state that these disorders should not be viewed as psychological conditions, but as physical illnesses (1,11).
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Despite these advances, CRPS, FM and CFS/ME remain controversial diagnoses. However, the tendency of some practitioners to label these conditions as purely psychological or psychiatric problems is at the very least distressing to patients, who feel they are not being taken seriously, and may actually be harmful (1). Furthermore, even if one assumes that these conditions do not exist as physical diseases, one cannot deny the existence of millions of patients worldwide who present with a combination of symptoms associated with these disorders, and who require treatment for their condition.
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A high level of lifetime depression and anxiety is also seen in FM and CFS/ME patients, along with those suffering from many other chronic illnesses
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Odd to put that there. Most chronic illness patients will never even have had an assessment so this claim is entirely baseless and anyway depression and anxiety cannot reliably be diagnosed or confirmed so this means very little. It is only partially true, and mostly as a mistake, once we get sick and face the wall of denial, but that is not the definition of lifelong. Most of my life I would have rated zero on both and still would if the common questionnaires did not deliberately conflate can't and won't.

It is a belief that it is the case, which sadly exemplifies just how thoroughly ideological and dogmatic the belief system over psychosomatic illness is, when false claims are commonly made up on the spot to make up for the total lack of evidence.
which suggests that many patients are actually extremely mentally resilient, particularly in the face of the physical suffering inherent in living with one of these conditions
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All evidence I have seen so far confirms this. Most ME patients ignore and downplay their symptoms and the only people obsessed with thinking about symptoms are the charlatans who want to build a case for their personal beliefs but lack evidence.

The most frustrating part of this continuing "debate" is that it is absurd to suggest we know everything there is to know about physiology and therefore any claims that absence of evidence confirms a psychological origin, the actual "scientific" argument used in practice, is blatantly unscientific.
 
On the same website (medico-legal partners.com)there is a What is Fibromyalgia video from Jan. 2020. An MD explains fibro in his introduction which I find damaging:

I paraphase: Fibro is often triggered by a physical cause (injury or surgery) or a psychological cause. The pain level is high and the disruption to normal life is high. However, prolonged suffering from the pain and disruption causes psychological maladaption which causes the patient to feel even more pain that isn't really there, although it isn't in their heads, either.
End of paraphrase.

Huh?

There are inaccuracies in the rest of the video as well.

In rebuttal, often there are no triggers to the onset of fibro. Also, pain can increase all by itself without a psychological maladaptation--it's called central sensitization or it is not known exactly why it happens.

Psychological maladaptation. It sounds objective, but what does it mean? It must include pain catastrophizing (yet again?) or that the patient is taking too long in adapting to a frightening new reality which includes very little pain relief for the rest of their lives due to opioid restrictions, not being able to work or fulfill role expectations

Thirty-five percent of fibro patients receive disablilty. But many more are refused benefits to which they are entitled. How about adapting to that cold reality of trying to get benefits for which you are entitled but year after year are denied. And the benefit to which you are entitled is at near poverty level.

The alarming propensity by doctors and psychologist to over-use psychological mechanisms to explain causation is inaccurate and harmful. Employing so-called psychological proof (doubtful at best) to instill doubt in the public, other medical professionals, social workers, and even disability lawers or their adversaries, not to mention the patients themselves, is a form of malpractice and lying. And once again, it displays a lack of empathy, of human kindness and scientific rigor.
 
The first time I've heard about the Complex Regional Pain Syndrome was in this German documentary about a young woman with a very severe case of this terrible disease. She nearly died and lost a leg. She had a long fight with her disability insurance.
 
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While CFS/ME has emerged fairly recently, CRPS and FM were first described decades ago.
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ME has been around since 1955 may be earlier. Fibromyalgia came about in the 80's.
Given all of this evidence, official guidelines now state that these disorders should not be viewed as psychological conditions, but as physical illnesses (1,11).
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Where? NICE still treats ME as psychological.
 
They keep ignoring the epidemics because it is difficult to call them psychological! They tried mass hysteria but one of the reasons they gave that it was mass hysteria was that many of the victims were women and women are likely to get hysteria.

Let them try that nowadays!
 
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