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Esther Crawley blog (February 3): "Doing what is right in a controversial field"

TiredSam

The wise nematode hibernates
Messages
2,677
Location
Germany
I do wonder how this grandstanding is allowed on an NHS site freely viewed if the study is really being reviewed?
If I may liken the NHS to the BBC, Esther Crawley is the equivalent of a radio 1 DJ in the 1970s, abusing as many young people as she likes, completely unaccountable, while everyone who knows about it or should know about it turns a blind eye because it suits them.

The same goes for the whole Wessely school. Decades later, when so many people have been classified as suffering from MUS that it reaches a tipping point, suddenly society can be shocked and horrified and wonder how it was ever allowed to happen. I get the feeling that ME patients were just the dry run, they won't be happy until they've abused every last person who visits the doctor with a headache.
 
Messages
2,391
Location
UK
upload_2017-2-13_23-23-41.png


Now then, I ask you, how could anyone possibly imagine the pictured subject stands for anything but the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And that the headline words, the picture, and even the pose, are simply happenstance, and could not possibly have been artfully chosen to achieve a desired psychological impact. If you did not know better you might think it was advertiser's guile.
 

rosamary

Senior Member
Messages
131
She's a case isn't she? And I do wish she'd stop moaning about what a horrid time she has because of all those mean old patients who keep trying to stop her from practicing quackery.

"Doing what is right in a controversial field"

Really? Does she seriously think that she has some kind of supernatural power?

Of course parents of sick children want someone to cure their children. They are desperate.

And I am so relieved that there are people out there now who are beginning to make some progress in this field and feel certain that they will contribute to the discovery of real cures for children and adults with the diagnoses of ME and CFS.

Leave, Esther. Go to Norway maybe? Or the USA? Branch out a little.
 

Jonathan Edwards

"Gibberish"
Messages
5,256
I guess that posts on PR tend to slip along the grapevine so let me say this:

Dear Esther,
It is time you realised just how much a fool you are making of yourself. You once did some good immunology. You are now peddling the worst soft science. The objections are not from a small number of luddites. They are from serious scientists like me. I am not sure who you are trying to persuade with this blog but I am afraid embarrassing self-righteousness is what comes through.

Best wishes

Jo
 

Keith Geraghty

Senior Member
Messages
491
Prof Chew-Graham - has chaired a report for the NHS on services for MUS and CFS

that even includes a focus on a patients spiritual well-being (see image)

the report is an amazing example of group-think and confirmation bias - see the reference list for the usual suspects
(by the way Prof Chew-Graham was co-investigator on the FINE trial so if she just followed her own trial results that CBT and GET do nothing for patients with MUS/CFS at 70 weeks, perhaps her report might of included some literature on actual science in ME/CFS - not just dogma and rhetoric passed off as science

p.s. Esther - please start respecting patients and critics - science only works through critique

In her photo she is looking up - perhaps following the recent Commission Report she is callin on God to help patients with ME/CFS, I know I do.
 

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Molly98

Senior Member
Messages
576
If I may liken the NHS to the BBC, Esther Crawley is the equivalent of a radio 1 DJ in the 1970s, abusing as many young people as she likes, completely unaccountable, while everyone who knows about it or should know about it turns a blind eye because it suits them.

The same goes for the whole Wessely school. Decades later, when so many people have been classified as suffering from MUS that it reaches a tipping point, suddenly society can be shocked and horrified and wonder how it was ever allowed to happen. I get the feeling that ME patients were just the dry run, they won't be happy until they've abused every last person who visits the doctor with a headache.
I couldn't agree more @TiredSam
 

Countrygirl

Senior Member
Messages
5,425
Location
UK
View attachment 19496

Now then, I ask you, how could anyone possibly imagine the pictured subject stands for anything but the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And that the headline words, the picture, and even the pose, are simply happenstance, and could not possibly have been artfully chosen to achieve a desired psychological impact. If you did not know better you might think it was advertiser's guile.

Someone ought to send the image to the Pope as St Esther appears to have seen a vision of the Virgin Mary............or would a damehood be preferred ?............ probably both. Child abuse, after all, has always been accepted as an activity that enables entry into the hallowed halls of the Establishment.
 
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Messages
2,087
I talked to a famous researcher who experienced something similar when he advocated children should be vaccinated against preventable illnesses. Why do you continue I asked him? His answer? “Because it is right”

Is this a new ploy, equating CBT / QUACK THERAPY objectors to vaccine objectors. ?
 

Aurator

Senior Member
Messages
625
"Children need to know that their treatments are effective and the NHS needs to know that these treatments are also cost-effective."

This isn't the first time I've seen this unhappy juxtaposition of two not necessarily reconcilable imperatives. The irreconcilability is on the surface for all to see, and possibly a fair few parents of children with ME see the potential conflict there. Probably far fewer parents figure out the subtext underlying "children need to know" and see that what is really meant is "children need to be made to believe".
 

A.B.

Senior Member
Messages
3,780
In case Crawley reads this forum.

Esther, how about you simply admit to have made mistakes and change course? Distinguish yourself from your colleagues by putting patients first and good science second. That would actually earn you some respect.

Good science doesn't include any cognitive-behavioural approaches. If one can look past the spin, it is embarassingly obvious that these don't work and are simply bad science. The improvements that you're seeing are a mix of confirmation bias, altered questionnaire answering behaviour secondary to social factors, remission due to natural history, and misdiagnosis.