Simon Wessely Research & Related Quotes

I started reading all this yesterday and had to stop after a while. It's so depressing. And amazing piece of work, @Valentijn, putting it all together.

It really is astounding that one man can make up a theory 30 years ago and stick with it through so much 'research' by twisting every bit of data to pretend it supports his theory. Can he really still be so blinkered as to believe he is right?
Yes
 
Simon Wessely is nothing more than a callous monomaniacal fantasist, who just will not accept that he and his grand idea are wrong, and causing great harm. He would rather perpetuate this cruel farce, than simply admit he botched it big time. He regards his ego and the fairy tales in his head as more important than our actual welfare and lives out here in the real world.

You know, a coward.

History will not be kind to him and his like minded colleagues. Nothing can change that now.
 
Wow, amazing that one man can be responsible for so much idiocy over such a long period of time. Thank you for all your hard work on putting together this compilation, it really is compulsive trainwreck reading matter. It would be funny if it wasn't so harmful.
Finally, it should be noted that our conclusions are primarily based on common sense, in the absence of a sound evidence base.
Super-ironic considering that this lot have proved over and over that they have no common sense.
 
How about:

"In addition we believe that understanding of the post viral fatigue syndrome has been hindered by doctors who suffer from the condition also researching it. Though medical training affords insight into the subjective effects of illness, it is axiomatic that objectivity is not similarly enhanced."

Post viral fatigue syndrome: time for a new approach. David, Wessely, Pelosi
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/20028662_Postviral_fatigue_syndrome_Time_for_a_new_approach

Is this not the source of the argument which was recently used against Gerraghty? It might be coincidental. I don't think Wessely played any part in that debate.

EDIT I put this on the wrong thread. It was meant to be on the Wessely quotes one. Sorry.
 
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"In addition we believe that understanding of the post viral fatigue syndrome has been hindered by doctors who suffer from the condition also researching it. Though medical training affords insight into the subjective effects of illness, it is axiomatic that objectivity is not similarly enhanced."
Yeah, that's a good one. I think I'll add a section for his quotes about patient involvement and open data :D

He made a similar statement shortly after in a published letter, which isn't too surprising since he tends to recycle the bits he's especially proud of:

Research done by sufferers from postviral fatigue syndrome is a delicate issue about which we thought deeply before expressing an opinion. Reviews by Parish and others are valuable, but clinical research should be carried out by those without the inevitable, albeit unconscious, biases caused by suffering from this condition.
Pelosi AJ, David AS, Wessely S. Postviral fatigue syndrome. BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL VOLUME 296 7 MAY 1988
 
In addition we believe that understanding of the post viral fatigue syndrome has been hindered by doctors who suffer from the condition also researching it.

Research done by sufferers from postviral fatigue syndrome is a delicate issue about which we thought deeply before expressing an opinion. Reviews by Parish and others are valuable, but clinical research should be carried out by those without the inevitable, albeit unconscious, biases caused by suffering from this condition.

Good examples of just how ruthless a political manipulator Wessely can be.
 
''but clinical research should be carried out by those without the inevitable, albeit unconscious, biases caused by suffering from this condition.''

How about:
''but clinical research should be carried out by those without the inevitable, albeit unconscious, biases caused by building a career on a false theory.''
 
Valentijn said:
Poor prognosis was independently associated with a belief in a viral cause for illness, membership of a self-help organization, current emotional disorder and alcohol avoidance.

So a possible solution is to become an alcoholic or at least to have the drink at the end of a working day? Or is Wesseley saying indirectly how grand alcohol is for him? Indeed, it is a good antidepressant.
 
So a possible solution is to become an alcoholic or at least to have the drink at the end of a working day? Or is Wesseley saying indirectly how grand alcohol is for him? Indeed, it is a good antidepressant.
I think he's saying that he's a moron who can't distinguish between correlation and causation, and who views absolutely everything in a psychological framework, no matter how ridiculous.
 
Here,
https://www.s4me.info/threads/entir...ournal-11-1978-devoted-to-me.2158/#post-39413
@Daisymay linked to a homepage by Margeret Williams,
http://www.margaretwilliams.me
One can find some documents about things Mr. Wesseley said, too.

E.g. "Wesseley's quote re Mayo Clinic" from Dec. 31st, 2017, p. 1:

Under the section “Non-acceptance of Psychiatric Disorders”, Wessely is clear: “In 1908 Ballet pointed out that neurasthenic patients ‘spoke abundantly about their headaches and their muscular weakness, but deliberately concealed their emotionalism … symptoms it would offend their self-esteem to confess.’ There is some evidence that patients actually deny symptoms (Fullerton & Munsat, 1966), but more often doctors fail to inquire about them (Alvarez, 1935: Harvard, 1985). The often intense dislike and distrust of psychiatry is well attested in the now voluminous self help literature. In the professional literature, CFS patients have been described as resentful and hostile toward psychiatrists (lmboden et al., 1959) or even toward all doctors (Jenkins, 1989). Stewart (in press) concludes that these patients view psychological difficulties as weaknesses, and such diagnoses lead to anger and resentment.
First, I simply cannot believe that this man believes all the rubbish he says. Or, "if he does he's an idiot, and if not he's an enemy" (based loosely on a quote from an HBO series: "If you didn't know you're an idiot, and if you did you're my enemy").

Second, most people disdain psychiatric diagnoses - not only people with CFS - leading to resentment and anger, because they are degraded; except those who want those diagnoses and go and ask for them. Resentment and anger, in my opinion, are healthy and respectful reactions to persons who behave disrespectfully and degradingly. People with ME have any reason to dislike psychiatry and many doctors.

Third, there's a saying: "What goes around, comes around". So people who behave unethically, contemptuously and disrespectfully expect to be treated with love and respect - seriously? The only problem here are the people, like Wessely et al., that don't question their behavior, but remain arrogant and only see the fault in others.

And last, in this quote, again, Mr. Wessely proves his disgust for people with ME, for people with psychiatric diagnoses, for sick people, probably for people in general, unless they are himself or royal.

People with ME are broadly treated highly disrespectfully; it is right to resent psychiatrists and doctors who haven't learned some basic rules of behavior. In a way, it speaks for the ME community that it dislikes and distrusts psychiatry and doctors/persons who behave similarly - they won't be the victim.
 
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