The Lightening Process. Does it work? If so then how?

[Sea]

I remember reading someone's account once but I don't remember where. It stood out because they were so determined to follow the protocol, not "do" ME anymore and ignore their symptoms that they ended up in emergency and were hospitalised for several weeks.

 

[Calathea]

I read a blog by someone doing the LP. She got a lot worse, and her self-esteem was shredded. Then she deleted the blog. She was iceylime on LJ if anyone else was reading it, a good few years ago.

 

[golden]

http://www.cortjohnson.org/blog/2014/01/16/big-lightning-process-trial-underway-think/

There is quite a bit of mixed input to this article.

But sorry, I dont know anyone personally who has done this.

 

[Undisclosed]

http://www.cortjohnson.org/blog/2014/01/16/big-lightning-process-trial-underway-think/

There is quite a bit of mixed input to this article.

But sorry, I dont know anyone personally who has done this.

This is a perfect example of when an article is written about LP, a hoard of LP trolls come along telling of their fantastic recoveries from ME in a mere three days. Unfortunately, if you dig deeper you will find that some of them are just trying to make money. Oh crap, here I go again being all negative, making myself ill. When will I ever learn?

 

[peggy-sue]

I'm afraid I simply do not understand why or how anybody can take LP seriously.

I didn't get a chance to start researching my illness until I had been sick for three years - I was all caught up with looking after my Dad, had nothing else left over.

One of the first things I found on the net was "Mickel Reverse Therapy". I read the site, realised it was a load of money-grubbing pseudoscientific clap-trap and dismissed it.

Then I found LP. Read the sites, found them lacking in enough information to make any decisions, (but I was suspicious, I don't trust anything which relies on "testimonials from satisfied customers" rather than scientific information). I ended up in personal correspondence with Amir Norris. Unfortunately, I have deleted it. I decided that my involvment with that sort of c*ap was over.
His unsatisfactory replies to my queries about the science behind the theory, left me in absolutely no doubt that this is just another pseudoscientific scam.

It didn't take much investigation, it didn't take more than my education to be able to see through it - how come a whole load of presumably intelligent and educated folk fall for it? (ie. the psych lot)

Will they be recommending psychic surgery next?

 

[Purple]

When I enquired about the Lightning Process, I was told that I am not a suitable candidate for it because I "think too much" (their words)

 

[peggy-sue]

In other words, too bright to be taken in by it.

 

[Ambrosia_angel]

Is it weird that I'm slightly considering this? I'm afraid I'd die if I did it though (irrational, I know). I'm getting sucked in to their great marketing and I'm a very skeptical person.. I'm surprised at myself :/

 

[Esther12]

People are desperate to get better, and it's very hard to be certain something will not lead to recovery.

This can lead people to doing a lot of things that they know are silly, and is one of the reason why there's so much dodginess around health imo.

 

[Ambrosia_angel]

People are desperate to get better, and it's very hard to be certain something will not lead to recovery.

This can lead people to doing a lot of things that they know are silly, and is one of the reason why there's so much dodginess around health imo.

It does seem great though. Sudden quick fix to all problems. But hearing that some people get really ill is worrying. I want to get better but I don't want to do permanent damage to my legs as you never really know what your dealing with when it comes to cfs. I also don't want to waste money either.
I probably think "too much" so I guess I wouldn't be eligible on that bases alone anyway.

 

[Esther12]

It does seem great though. Sudden quick fix to all problems.

There are loads of things that make those sorts of claims. The specifics of LP don't sound that great to me tbh.

 

[bertiedog]

It does seem great though. Sudden quick fix to all problems. But hearing that some people get really ill is worrying. I want to get better but I don't want to do permanent damage to my legs as you never really know what your dealing with when it comes to cfs. I also don't want to waste money either.
I probably think "too much" so I guess I wouldn't be eligible on that bases alone anyway.

The only way LP is going to work would be if you are suffering with a psychological illness. I guess that some people with the label CFS might have this and then miraculously get better doing the LP but if you have true ME then there is no way it will work though I do acknolwedge positive thinking can help you deal with having a long-term illness.

These people are very clever in what they claim and it is designed to suck you in and it is perfectly understandable this could happen when we feel so ill.

Pam

 

[Calathea]

I really doubt it would work for a mental illness either, though, and would cause a great deal of damage. Screwy brain chemistry doesn't go away because you will yourself to be better. And victim-blaming hits people with mental illness a lot harder, generally.

 

[Valentijn]

It does seem great though. Sudden quick fix to all problems. But hearing that some people get really ill is worrying. I want to get better but I don't want to do permanent damage to my legs as you never really know what your dealing with when it comes to cfs. I also don't want to waste money either.
I probably think "too much" so I guess I wouldn't be eligible on that bases alone anyway.

It's not just a matter of physical damage, which is certainly a concern. It's also teaching people to deny their illness and their symptoms. This can be extremely harmful in any disease, especially in one like ME/CFS where ignoring symptoms and limitations can result in exacerbation. But it can also badly undermine someone's mental health, by teaching them that they are the one at fault for being ill, and by inherently blaming them if they are not healed by the program.

Someone above mentioned the case of someone with ME who had to be hospitalized after being taught to deny his illness. He did not even want help for obvious physical problems because he was too invested in insisting that he was not ill. If I recall correctly, it was compared to someone being brainwashed by a cult who then had to be de-programmed so that he could rejoin reality.

Lightning Process focuses on the denial of reality, blaming the patient, and consequently an avoidance of appropriate treatment. It is harmful in so many ways that I'm shocked they're allowed to even do such a thing, much less that a trial is being funded for it.

 

[peggy-sue]

@Ambrosia, do you remember anything in the news about the LP and Esther Ranzen's daughter Emily?

ER was promoting it madly. It "cured" Emily... at least twice.
So, obviously, the first cure wasn't a cure.
Unfortunately, Ms. Ranzen (Snr.) has not recanted all the publicity she gave to the LP.

Eventually, it was discovered that the poor girl has coeilac disease. Not properly investigated at the start, because of the CFS label, she struggled and struggled, trying to pretend she wasn't sick for the sake of LP and social pressure and all the publicity etc.

Even Emily has been quoted as saying she's never, ever been "cured". She only ever pretended, because of the pressure being put on her.
Thankfully, she did not have ME, so she was not made a lot worse by pushing through and pretending not to be sick, but it still did her absolutely no good at all.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...cret-Emilys-14-lost-years-Esther-Rantzen.html

Please, do not consider it. You would be far better off spending the money on decent supplements.

 

[Calathea]

I went to school with Emily Wilcox (Esther Rantzen's daughter), who missed a lot of time off school during the sixth form due to being ill. I never really knew her, though we were in a couple of classes together. She seemed a nice girl. I kept an eye on the press about her, and noticed that she seemed to go through repeated miracle cures. Also her mother's secretary nobbled my mother at a party and tried to force her to make me go on the LP or something similar, which I then spent a hell of a long time explaining was a scam.

I've always thought the LP sounds remarkably cult-like as well.

 

[peggy-sue]

She's been through a heck of a lot. Not helped at all by all the publicity her mother was so keen on and her ridiculous promotion of LP, despite Emily not being helped at all - just forced to push and pretend - hoping that the pretending would eventually stop and that being well would become real. It never did.

Nobody ever considered Emily in all this.

 

[Ambrosia_angel]

Thanks for the replies. Every time I hear about Emily's story it makes me sad. 14 years of life missed which could have been easily prevented. It happens way too often and it shouldn't be like that. It's like you have to tell the drs which way you want them to go when it come to your health.

I've been in a motion of self-blame before which I think I'm slightly still in. What if I had done things differently...?
Does anyone know more about the man who ended up in hospital?

 

[Valentijn]

Does anyone know more about the man who ended up in hospital?

@alex3619 mentioned it in a post a couple years ago, but I couldn't find more detail than that. He might know where to look.

 

[alex3619]

I don't recall details of that man. However I do recall that he was hospitalized because he was so brainwashed he thought he was cured, but couldn't function at all. If that was the same man we are talking about. He kept insisting he could do anything, but he couldn't even get out of bed. That is brainwashing, not cure.

LP is very much like a cult, even to threats of legal action of you say something they do not like, something that modern cults are fond of. The secrecy is a big part of it. I think in time the litany of failures will be too large to cover up, but that could be just wishful thinking.