“ME’ as a medical entity was later supplanted in the 1980s by psychiatrists such as Simon Wessely, replaced by the label ‘chronic fatigue syndrome’; a fatiguing syndrome of unknown origin that exists, in part, as a result of dysfunctional illness beliefs, as well as social trends and social care systems that reward illness seeking behaviours.” DiscriminationChronic IllnessCfsChronic Fatigue SyndromeMyalgic EncephalomyelitisMe CfsMe Cfs QuotesPsychologizationSimon WesselyWessely School Author:Charlotte Blease
“Studies also show that doctors may view ME/CFS patients as hostile or combative when they challenge the incumbent biopsychosocial model of ME or CFS. Yet rather than feeling threatened or worse still, viewing the patient as uncooperative, there is an opportunity to discuss the limitations of medical knowledge. Here, we believe there is an ethical duty for candour and honesty: indeed, where there are clear gaps in medical knowledge the patient voice should have even more standing.” Chronic IllnessCfsChronic Fatigue SyndromeMyalgic EncephalomyelitisMe CfsMe Cfs QuotesPsychologization Author:Charlotte Blease
“When it comes to hierarchies of illness, evidence shows that chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)/myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), features at the bottommost end of the medical “favoured” list. In the 1980s, newspapers helped coin the dismissive label “yuppie flu”; today, ME/CFS sufferers are still being referred to psychotherapists to work on their “faulty” illness beliefs.” Chronic IllnessCfsChronic Fatigue SyndromeMyalgic EncephalomyelitisMe CfsMe Cfs QuotesPsychologization Author:Charlotte Blease