Gupta amygdala training program for ME/CFS, FM and Long Covid - news and discussion

Joel said:
  1. Harley Street Solutions said that ‘electrical sensitivities’ was not a recognized medical condition and therefore their claim to be able to treat it could not be in breach of any rules.
So they offer a treatment. Then when challenged, they claim it's ok because it's not a treatment at all as there's nothing to treat. Yet they take the money from these people for a non-existent treatment despite this view and think this is okay. It disgusts me.
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LOL

Invisible Woman said:
I hate to think how much money we have collectively wasted over the years on some of this stuff.
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*sob*
 
Trish said:
Me too. When I heard about LP I thought, this is the same crap. How on earth did I get suckered in to such nonsense? Desperation I guess. And ignorance. And I'd spent all that money, so I felt I had to try it.
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Maybe we could encourage one of them to sue the other for infringement of copyright? :) Although if Gupta/LP practitioners ended up in an expensive, mutually bankrupting trip to the High Court there is the very real risk I could die of a popcorn overdose.
 
GUPTA PROGRAMME FOR ME, CFS, FIBROMYALGIA, MCS & GWS – (GUPTA AMYGDALA RETRAINING) shared their video.
1 hr ·
Are you an over-achiever? Have you ever wondered why? Society teaches us to honour left brain, patriarch type values about achievement, success and glory. We have become trained unconsciously for those things to be the most important factors in our lives. But today I am calling out for a massive shift in this type of thinking. We need to embrace what really matters in life before it is too late.

38802654_1982134705141142_4339962734897528832_n.jpg

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1,014 Views

Well, we all know why he is an 'over-achiever'..............:emoji_money_mouth:
 
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Sly Saint said:
GUPTA PROGRAMME FOR ME, CFS, FIBROMYALGIA, MCS & GWS – (GUPTA AMYGDALA RETRAINING) shared their video.
1 hr ·
Are you an over-achiever? Have you ever wondered why? Society teaches us to honour left brain, patriarch type values about achievement, success and glory. We have become trained unconsciously for those things to be the most important factors in our lives. But today I am calling out for a massive shift in this type of thinking. We need to embrace what really matters in life before it is too late.

38802654_1982134705141142_4339962734897528832_n.jpg

0:00
-PAXP-deijE.gif

1,014 Views

Well, we all know why he is an 'over-achiever'..............:emoji_money_mouth:
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Is that a parody or is it really this ridiculous?

Because it kind of needs to be emphasized that the Venn diagram of this idiocy and the MUS nonsense that is being stacked on the NICE committee is close to a circle. It's kind of saying the same thing, just without the pretense and medical terminology scrabble.

What's their opinion on the causality of "refrigerator mothers" with autism or "cancer personalities"? Do they extend their quackery to all the nonsense that preceded their current recycled garbage?

I don't understand why barely anyone in medicine seems to recommend caution about something that has a ~99% failure rate and catastrophic consequences.
 
This was the finding of the UK Advertising Standards Authority after a very good review:

The ad must not appear again in its current form. We told Harley Street Solutions Ltd not to state or imply that the Gupta Programme could treat “Fibromyalgia”, “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or ME” or “Electrical Sensitivities”. We told them to ensure that they held substantiation for any similar claims relating to medical conditions or symptoms.
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And yet Gupta's Facebook page is still offering the Gupta Programme for fibromyalgia and CFS. Is this ok because a Facebook page isn't seen to be advertising?

https://www.facebook.com/guptaprogr...YXdF1z-x_tyBGQVGDnWuE6CbUIKKjiO3k&__tn__=kC-R
 
It seems many in the early stages of ME, are especially vulnerable to quackery. Even people with lots of training like alternative physicians who don't know much at all about ME can provide convincing treatment ideas. I saw various "well trained" practitioners for years with some harmful and expensive results. I feel like a lot of those practitioners are like spiders, just waiting in their webs to catch another unsuspecting victim.

The story about the blind men each trying to guess what the elephant is, is very true for ME. I saw various medical specialists who thought my illness fit in their bailiwick.

The perpetual mind over matter advice can be so harmful, and smug. Those who tell us to be positive seem to think they are superior. If only we would just be positive, we would be cured. And, if we don't get well, we have chosen to be sick. Very toxic, and blames the sick person.

There is a book about the problems with perpetual positivity. Can't recall the name right now. It sounded like a good read.
 
daftasabrush said:
Unbelievably the ME Association have removed their article about the ASA complaint on Gupta and have nothing else on it. There is a passing mention in their
Alternative and complementary approaches to management download only.

I have never known the MEA remove anything before... what's going on? Has Gupta taken action against the MEA?

Archive of article - http://web.archive.org/web/20180413...me-for-me-cfs-and-fibromyalgia-11-april-2018/
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Probably best to contact them to ask. @Russell Fleming doesnt get chance to come on the forum but might see this.
 
daftasabrush said:
I have never known the MEA remove anything before... what's going on? Has Gupta taken action against the MEA?
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in my experience, things often disappear because of glitches or some mis-coding that's happened as a site gets updated. I generally have found it's best to assume something has a technical explanation before assuming a nefarious one, unless I have other reasons to think otherwise.
 
Gupta crowdfunding for research
We are pleased to announce our Crowdfunding Campaign to raise funds for a new study on the Gupta Program treatment for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), Fibromyalgia or MCS.

This independent study will be in association with a well-known independent clinic and research center that we are currently in talks with.
Purpose Of The New Study

To conduct a randomized, Phase 2 or Phase 3 clinical trial of the Gupta Program in order to offer clear insight into the potential contribution of this method to evidence-based integrative medical strategies aimed at the treatment of chronic conditions such as ME/CFS & Fibromyalgia, as well as MCS/CIRS/Mold Illnesses.

  • To test the efficacy of a novel and cutting-edge treatment known as the Gupta Program.
  • It will also help us learn about the most effective delivery of the program.
  • How we can improve the treatment for the millions of people around the world who suffer from these conditions
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Overview Of The Study



The study’s medical proposal is currently being finalised. In the meantime, here is a high-level summary of how the study will work:

Background

The purpose of this pilot study is to gather preliminary data on the efficacy and feasibility of a mind-body practice termed “Amygdala Retraining Techniques (ART)” on fatigue symptoms and quality of life in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). CFS is an incapacitating disorder characterized by profound fatigue, muscle pain, impaired memory, insomnia, and post-exertional malaise.

Current literature points to a centrally sensitized state in CFS. Amygdala Retraining Techniques are hypothesised to strengthen neurological inhibitory mechanisms in areas of the prefrontal cortex, insula and anterior cingulate. This helps to reduce hyper-stimulation of the autonomic nervous system by the amygdala and the insula.

There are also aspects of the immune system which are hypothesised to be restimulated by the insula and other structures due to conditioning effects, causing acute symptomatology, as well as allowing opportunistic infections to flourish. The Gupta Program is hypothesised to help retrain the insula, the amygdala, and other associated brain structures by the reinforcement of inhibitory mechanisms, so that the immune system and the autonomic nervous system can return to a normal state of homeostasis.
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Details Of The Research Team

We have assembled a team of experienced researchers who are keen to further independently test the efficacy of the treatment.

Research Site: We are currently in talks with a few sites to establish and finalise a good fit for the study.

Lead Researcher: Dr Loren Toussaint, Associate Professor, Luther College, Iowa, USA. Dr Toussaint will be involved in writing the study protocol, database management, blind assessment and paper submission.
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full details here
https://guptaprogram.com/es/crowdfunding/

posting for info only
not a recommendation to donate.
 
Sly Saint said:
Gupta crowdfunding for research



full details here
https://guptaprogram.com/es/crowdfunding/

posting for info only
not a recommendation to donate.
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How awful, the big ME and LC orgs need to get a warning out on this one so good hearted people don’t fall into the trap of giving donations to a business enterprise disguised as scientific research and altruism.
 
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Anyone up for writing to the researcher to tell them they must use clear diagnostic criteria and objective outcome measures, and suggest a before and after 2 day CPET? And to warn them about the long term damage they may do to pwME who try to stick to the program and ignore their symptoms.

Having binned in disgust the set of Gupta Amygdala retraining CD's I spent £99 on nearly 20 years ago, I am appalled that it's being take seriously. From the descriptions of LP, it seems to be almost identical.

The only good I can see coming from this is if it's a truly objective research project with objective outcome measures, and offering debriefing after for those patients who get hooked into the pernicious nonsense and compensation and support to those made sicker. Objective research with decent length follow up might actually show it up for the nonsense it is. But I don't think it's ethical to put pwME through it.

Edit: An added note. When I was one of the forum's reporters for the IACFSME conference last year on the rare occasion that they held it online, I was appalled to see they had given Gupta a chance to have a poster presentation. I wonder whether this research resulted from contact made there.
 
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To test the efficacy of a novel and cutting-edge treatment known as the Gupta Program.

The one you have been flogging for decades already? Therefore neither novel and cutting-edge, nor properly tested yet.

Current literature points to a centrally sensitized state in CFS.

No it doesn't.
 
Just looked up the Lead Researcher's Bio. Dr Loren Toussaint is a psychologist, regarded as a Christian "forgiveness expert" who has been a proponent of Gupta since at least 2012.

Interesting that in his 2012 study below he uses the term "chronic fatigue" and that Gupta was a successful treatment for the condition.

He then uses the (questionable) results of this 2012 study to suggest in his recent 2023 study how Gupta was shown to be successful in treating "ME/CFS":

https://www.researchgate.net/public...s_Related_to_Fibromyalgia_and_Chronic_Fatigue

https://www.researchgate.net/public...nd_Increases_Energy_in_People_with_Long_COVID

"Chronic fatigue" and "ME/CFS" are not one and the same.
 
"Independent" "study". Obviously there will be no objective outcomes. And calling this a study is a huge stretch. No one is studying anything, they are merely pragmatic trials through which astrological aromatherapy could pass if someone manages to get approval for a biased enough study. Administered by a commercial enterprise, who will choose biased mediocre academics, as is tradition.

There is nothing in academic literature that "points" to "central desensitization". It's a popular model that some people have labeled some things with, there is no evidence for any of this anymore than there is for the moon being made of cheese, which some people have pointed out. In children's books, sure, but what is even the difference here? Fantasy is fantasy, whether it is for children or adults changes nothing.

Also, cutting-edge? This stuff was heavily tried in the 60's, and hyped all the way to the late 20th century. Just because they changed a few words here and there and move this way instead of that way, or whatever, doesn't change anything.

I guess the wheel must be cutting-edge by that definition.
 
Revel said:
Interesting that in his 2012 study below he uses the term "chronic fatigue" and that Gupta was a successful treatment for the condition.

He then uses the (questionable) results of this 2012 study to suggest in his recent 2023 study how Gupta was shown to be successful in treating "ME/CFS":

https://www.researchgate.net/public...s_Related_to_Fibromyalgia_and_Chronic_Fatigue
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I've just looked up that study. It's a complete joke:
A Mind-Body Technique for Symptoms Related to Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue
Abstract and Figures
Context
A novel mind–body approach (amygdala retraining) is hypothesized to improve symptoms related to fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue.
Objective
To examine the use of a mind–body approach for improving symptoms related to fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue.
Design
This was a single-blind, randomized controlled trial.
Setting
The study was conducted in a tertiary-care fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue clinic.
Patients
Patients with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, or both were included.
Interventions
Patients were randomly assigned to receive amygdala retraining along with standard care or standard care alone. Standard care involved attending a 1.5-day multidisciplinary program. The amygdala retraining group received an additional 2.5-hour training course in which the key tools and techniques adapted from an existing program were taught to the patient. A home-study video course and associated text were provided to supplement the on-site program. Both groups received telephone calls twice a month to answer questions related to technique and to provide support.
Main Outcome Measures
Validated self-report questionnaires related to general health, well-being, and symptoms, including Short Form-36, Measure Yourself Medical Outcome Profile, Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire.
Results
Of the 44 patients randomly assigned who completed baseline assessments, 21 patients completed the study (14 in the standard care group and 7 in the study group). Median age was 48 years (range, 27-56 years), and female subjects comprised 91% of the group.
Analyses demonstrated statistically significant improvements in scores for physical health, energy, pain, symptom distress, and fatigue in patients who received the amygdala retraining compared with standard care.

Flow of patients through the study.
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. Mixed-Model Repeated-Measures ANOVA Across Both Groups from Baseline (T1) to Follow-Up (T2)
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Change in scores from baseline to follow-up for amygdala retraining (n ϭ 7, dashed lines) and standard care (n ϭ 14, solid lines) groups on several measures. ( A ) Short Form-36 (SF-36) physical health score. ( B ) SF-36 energy score. ( C ) SF-36 pain score. ( D ) Measure Yourself Medical Outcome Profile (MYMOP-2) score. Score reversed. ( E ) Multi-Dimensional Fatigue Inventory (MDFI) –Motivation score. ( F ) MDFI–Activity score. ( G ) Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) score.
…

. Simple Effects Tests for Changes in Outcome Measures From Baseline to Follow-Up
…
 
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