But come in here victim-blaming by saying "it's your subconscious!" without even referencing what tools you think might help? Nope. Not cool.
@Dainty I have no intention of saying that the pain that you or anyone else feels is caused by the sub-conscious mind or can be cured by it either. I am not blaming the victims of ME/CFS or I would have to point my finger directly at my son who I personally know was victimized by this disease. He did not choose to have it, he did not have any prior mental health issues and he was not able to overcome it with sheer will, pushing himself more or "thinking more correctly".
At the root of the misconceptions of what I am proposing is the notion that the Brain is primarily consciously controlled or that the "sub-conscious" is really just the conscious mind thinly veiled. My contention and that of many neuroscientists is that the brain is primarily (90%) controlled by what I will term the "Non-conscious". To me sub-conscious means "below the conscious" mind so it is also not directly controlled by the conscious mind (so read non-conscious).
So it really comes down to whether one thinks that anyone can control what is going on in 90% of their brain (nervous system) or not. Applying the notion that a brain/nervous system nearly completely dominated by non-conscious functions can become more sensitive to input, naturally means that it is beyond that person (or any person for that matter) to control. The power that this non-conscious process exerts on the nervous system and the body is enormous and in my way of thinking completely explains why CBT, GET, PACE programs and the like are unsuccessful and are even more likely to be unsuccessful the more power and control it exerts on the body.
My thought is the lack of respect for the power of this non-conscious response/activation process is why Wessely and his cohorts have failed to help ME/CFS patients. In my line of thinking it is this powerful response/activation which initiates and maintains the cascade of metabolic, bio-chemical, immune, hormone, inflammatory, fatigue and pain related issues seen in ME. All of which have my heart break for those who are victims of this process.
I can definitely provide what is now emerging as the current state of the art in pain treatment: virtual reality, graded motor imagery (not Graded Exercise Therapy), Therapeutic Neuroscience Education, Scrambler/Calmare and PoNs Device (the last two not as substantiated by evidence but showing promise). These are not my opinions. These are from the real pain experts and are much smarter than I.
In addition, the most effective other pain treatments are too difficult for most with ME/CFS to gain benefit from because the nature of the disease does not allow them to (not because they would not want to). These include cardiovascular/aerobic exercise, productive/restful sleep and minimizing negative stressors. That is why pain in ME is so difficult to treat as you well know (because they can't work for those with ME)
I know that many have suffered at the hands of those who have pushed an agenda that a few on PR have associated with me. I can assure you I have no contact with them, do not support them and have no intention of ever saying that CBT, GET and PACE will ever help treat someone with ME/CFS.
My thoughts on Pain come from years of reading volumes of research, attending educational training sessions, collaborating with other professionals and treating (successfully for the most part) patients in pain with a very compassionate and encouraging manner. The reason why I unknowingly stepped into the Sensitization debacle in the manner I did was out of ignorance as to what has been done in taking a concept I have found to be very helpful in treating pain and applying it in very inappropriate ways to ME/CFS patients.
Please forgive me for my ignorance and lack of awareness in that regard. To everyone with ME that has been inappropriately treated with CBT/GET and then blamed for it not working, that is scandalous and quite possibly the worst medicine I have heard of in modern times. You may not believe it, but I am on your side. Really.
Sorry for the length of the response. I just felt the need to explain my thoughts in detail in hopes that they help you and others better understand my (differing) viewpoint.