Michael Sharpe: Mind, Medicine and Morals: A Tale of Two Illnesses (2019) BMJ blog - and published responses

from the sharpe-text
The rejection of illness-focussed treatments by some people with CFS, we suggest therefore, follows from the perception that such treatments are seen to underscore the label of ‘illness-without-disease’ with all the negative consequences that follow. By contrast, they do little to undermine the more secure ‘illness-with-disease’ status of the person whose fatigue is associated with cancer.

To resolve the controversy we set out to address, we propose that in the short term the paradox that people with CFS face must be clearly acknowledged. In the longer term, we proposed that there is need to transform the social and moral connotations of illnesses-without-disease by cultivating alternative and more inclusive ways of conceptualising human suffering.
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illness = patients subjective experience
disease = pathology found

"illness without disease"
because pwmecfs feel rejected by medical-institutions, they then reject the med-institutions (suggesting cbt/get) ?

after all, cbt/get is for a number of diseases.
nothing specific.
 
Oh, I'm so tired of this.

After years of studying the condition, it's back to the same rethorics we've had going for years and years - that his science was supposed to find an answer for, one way or the other.

Even if you know nothing about PACE, him not mentioning his main work sure would indicate that either it was a total waste he don't want be associated with, or that it failed to prove his theory and he don't want to admit it.

Him not mentioning the main work of his career at all, but blaiming patients - again - is really not a good look. It should be obvoius for all now. Please leave the sceene with some grace?

As for his arguments, I can't be bothered. Link to commentaries on The mental elf or somthing, we've done that song and dance so many times before - the rethoric don't hold water.

Edit: missing word
 
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However, whilst such treatments are readily accepted by patients with cancer-related fatigue.
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I'm not even sure that is true when you look at the numbers of people who get cancer. And even if there's any truth that they are readily accepted that doesn't mean they work.

There's probably thousands of cancer patients who readily accept homeopathy, reiki, faith healing etc etc. So what.

Bad example anyway when cancer has real treatments running alongside hocus pocus ones.
 
I just noted the presence of "morals" in the title and have an urgent need to vomit.

The utter immorality and ethical bankruptcy of this madness is so much worse considering it is promoted and defended by medical professionals.

Do no harm has truly lost all sense or meaning. There will have to be a lot of soul-searching to wipe the slate of this physician-induced human rights disaster.
 
Barry said:
Why do I get the impression MS is trying to reframe how psychiatrists such as himself are perceived (including by his peers), and trying to exit from the hole they have dug. As Prof. Ola D. Saugstad said at Norway's Mission Millions event:
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Their absence from not one but two major consecutive conferences right in their backyard shows unambiguously that they are rejected by the actual researchers in a field in which they have contributed nothing but confusion and misdirection.

This is really all there is to tell about the topic. None of them even comment on any of the research conferences, let alone participate. I don't understand how that does not make it obvious to any outside gullible observer who falls for the "muh patients are mean" trope. They are rejected by their "peers", although here the term is quite misleading.
 
large donner said:
I'm not even sure that is true when you look at the numbers of people who get cancer. And even if there's any truth that they are readily accepted that doesn't mean they work.

There's probably thousands of cancer patients who readily accept homeopathy, reiki, faith healing etc etc. So what.

Bad example anyway when cancer has real treatments running alongside hocus pocus ones.
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The actual comparable research for cancer would actually be the cancer personality nonsense and it was obviously rejected and offensive.
 
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The Oxford Compact English Dictionary defines "benign" as 1 kind and gentle. 2 not harmful or harsh; favourable...not malignant.

It does not say effective. Neither does the article.


Rather tedious, the same old argument - why do cancer patients welcome CBT and GET, and pwME don't?

Because CBT and GET are all that is on offer in the UK for ME! There is no biomedical treatment for ME, as there is with cancer.

If pwcancer were told they would get better merely from CBT and GET - there would be a great hue and cry!
 
Snowdrop said:
It seems clear to me they are on a fishing expedition to find people who might respond intemperately providing a straw man to argue against for the factually challenged BPS view.
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The piece's argument does seem utterly besides the point of the real controversies around Sharpe's work, so maybe most people will ignore it and they'll just get some misguided comments from people insisting that some old unreplicated and dubious study preves that ME is a 'real' disease?

The question of whether or not ME should be classed as a disease is one that lets them act all sophisticated, while most patients seem to realise it doesn't matter. What's important is whether patients are being spoken to honestly and provided with accurate information on treatment efficacy based upon rigorously conducted research. That there's so much dishonesty and spin around CBT and GET is going to make them rather controversial.
 
DokaGirl said:
The Oxford Compact English Dictionary defines "benign" as 1 kind and gentle. 2 not harmful or harsh; favourable...not malignant.

It does not say effective. Neither does the article.


Rather tedious, the same old argument - why do cancer patients welcome CBT and GET, and pwME don't?

Because CBT and GET are all that is on offer in the UK for ME! There is no biomedical treatment for ME, as there is with cancer.

If pwcancer were told they would get better merely from CBT and GET - there would be a great hue and cry!
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I suspect that the supportive variety of CBT can be a helpful tool.
The issue is that people are not aware that there is a different type, so will have more trouble understanding why someone would refuse it.
If the " special type" of CBT was explained, particularly as public awareness seems to be growing, the argument may be undermined.
 
Jonathan Edwards said:
Is this blog a summary of an article somewhere else or is that just a mistake in the description?

Maybe I should write a reply? Or maybe leave it alone?
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I'm just catching up with this thread. It says it's a summary preview in advance of publication of the journal in June. So this is just a taste of the full thing. Groan. :(

Perhaps we should wait for the full article before responding. Once that's available I hope you and/or @dave30th will write a response.
 
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