This is absolutely terrifying, isn't it? Now anyone can be accused of having "functional overlay", and sent off for reeducation.
SO helpful, to have a 30-something fit, educated, healthy clinician explain to you how you need to think more positively about your incapacitating - and very possibly ultimately fatal - neurological illness.
I'm finding this cropping up in my own area, which is neuropsychology. I get a lot of questions from clinical neuropsychologists about head injury and concussion, and whether these patients' problems might be partly or wholly due to anxiety, depression or "central sensitisation".
Makes clear the necessity of joint action.
Essential to form a unified movement of ALL the ill ones.
Why I believe we should (almost) never compare our illness to that of others in a covetous way.
Where treatment of another illness is presumed good at least in comparison.
This misunderstands why we are where we are.
We will not be cared for or treated by fighting over grossly inadequate support(?) provided to those with MS Brain Injury Parkinson’s etc.
Yes, we are worse off regarding ‘recognition’. But each illness was put through prolonged periods of unnecessary resistance to the acknowledgment of its existence. Or the material nature of this.
We with ME experience the brand of discrimination currently mostly allocated to those with ‘mental health conditions’.
Unfortunately there is plenty enough discrimination to go around. Escape is impossible.
Most currently presumed ‘physical’ illnesses were treated as badly most currently presumed ‘mental’ illnesses until very recently.
Progress is not irreversible.
Solidarity with all of us ill, is the only way out.
Break the system and build a new one.
We never rooted out a moral judgment on the sick. The Judgment is in good condition. Ready to be picked up in service of someone’s self interest. Bringing an early death for many millions of others.