"Is fatigue a disease-specific or generic symptom in chronic medical conditions?" (Dutch CBT proponents involved)

[Sean]

We found that both ARD and CFS groups showed significant associations between fatigue and symptom-related cognitions and behaviours such as fear-avoidance beliefs and symptom focusing... This suggests that cognitive-behavioural responses may be important in the perpetuation of fatigue for all disorders and are therefore transdiagnostic.

This quote contains at least three of their standard sophistry tactics.

1) Inflating the role of an alleged factor: e.g. significant becomes important. (Or conversely, if required, deflating it if unfavourable to their claim.)

2) Use of associations without establishing causation, typically featuring weasel words like suggests and may, to establish plausible deniability. 'We never said it was true.'

3) Selective interpretation: e.g. fear-avoidance.

This is a classic example of the genre. It paints the central claim clearly, without either proving it or owning it.

Rinse and repeat, without deviation, for decades, and Voila!... fame, power, and at least well above average material comfort.

At our expense.

 

[alex3619]

If we changed fatigue in the title of this paper to pain or depression, it would highlight the confusion. Depression, for example, is not a specific disease entity but a collection of symptoms in many disease entities. Ditto for pain. Fatigue is the same. Thank goodness ME is not about fatigue but about a whole category of symptoms that include fatigue, but also muscle weakness, energy deficits, and post activity symptoms other than fatigue. This is before you even get to deficits in sleep quality or orthostatic issues.

 

[Snow Leopard]

The trap of circular reasoning...

 

[alex3619]

The trap of circular reasoning...

I wonder if its not more the trap of begging the question, which is very similar to circular reasoning. If they presume they are right, then the evidence supports they are right. However if we presume its either unproven or wrong, then the evidence supports its unproven or wrong. In other words, the evidence is inconclusive but bias makes it seem otherwise if the evidence is not properly examined. Other independent evidence that is usually not even mentioned in this kind of study, and is highly objective, shows they are wrong.