EllenGB
Senior Member
- Messages
- 119
Moderator Note: Posts have been split from the thread 'Simon Wessely wins prize for'Standing Up for Science'
CFS is a syndrome. This is why it's so important for people with a range of opinions to communicate with each other. The likes of Heim, Friedberg and other scientists do consider it psychosomatic. As CFS is not a distinct entity and studies have shown it overlaps 97% with a psychiatric disorder (Farmer et al), one can argue that a subset is neurological (e.g. as Natelson does), and a subset is more psychological, as per White, Wearden, Friedberg, Heim and others. And what is ME/CFS? It's a political compromise. It has different definitions, mostly the same as per CFS, so it's really CFS. A scientist has to think clearly. This area is too political and subjective. People, for various reasons, are not doing what is usual for scientists and considering alternative views. I've been in this field so long, I no longer believe that CFS is a meaningful term and ME/CFS is no more meaningful. It's a mess. We need to get back to basics e.g. ask what do we all mean by the terms we use. Concentration is not a sign of a psychiatric disorder per se, so a red herring. Very common in all sorts of diseases, and the menopause. But also in stress, depresssion etc. Americans appear to have a thing against veterans, even American ones. They didn't listen to Shelokov in 1987 and are not taking enough notice of Prof. Jason. Ergo the mess. My opinion. After 30 plus years of researching ME and CFS.
CFS is a syndrome. This is why it's so important for people with a range of opinions to communicate with each other. The likes of Heim, Friedberg and other scientists do consider it psychosomatic. As CFS is not a distinct entity and studies have shown it overlaps 97% with a psychiatric disorder (Farmer et al), one can argue that a subset is neurological (e.g. as Natelson does), and a subset is more psychological, as per White, Wearden, Friedberg, Heim and others. And what is ME/CFS? It's a political compromise. It has different definitions, mostly the same as per CFS, so it's really CFS. A scientist has to think clearly. This area is too political and subjective. People, for various reasons, are not doing what is usual for scientists and considering alternative views. I've been in this field so long, I no longer believe that CFS is a meaningful term and ME/CFS is no more meaningful. It's a mess. We need to get back to basics e.g. ask what do we all mean by the terms we use. Concentration is not a sign of a psychiatric disorder per se, so a red herring. Very common in all sorts of diseases, and the menopause. But also in stress, depresssion etc. Americans appear to have a thing against veterans, even American ones. They didn't listen to Shelokov in 1987 and are not taking enough notice of Prof. Jason. Ergo the mess. My opinion. After 30 plus years of researching ME and CFS.