Who has control of the story? Nasim Marie Jafry on Anna Katharina Schaffner's EXHAUSTION

[Dolphin]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/764567006444130305

 

[Dolphin]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/764764150983692288

 

[Dolphin]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/765165513966223360

 

[Dolphin]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/764512525404733440

 

[TiredSam]

Excellent article. Particularly liked this:

Schaffner acknowledges ME is a controversial diagnosis, but sets up a false opposition of scientists against patients. Let's not forget in early 2015, the Institute of Medicine's (USA) definitive report which - after examining 9000 research papers - concluded that ME is not psychological. Research in the USA has been energised lately through the National Institute of Health. And the first European ME tissue biobank opened in London in May.

This false opposition of patients against scientists is part of the BPS narrative. The most false part of it is that the BPS brigade are referring to themselves as scientists, and deliberately ignoring all the real scientists engaged in biomedical research worldwide.

 

[JaimeS]

The most false part of it is that the BPS brigade are referring to themselves as scientists

Bingo.

 

[Hutan]

I liked this bit too:

While Schaffner finds it 'ironic that Wessely should have become such a hated figure in the CFS/ME community', I find it 'ironic' that her book is published by Columbia University Press, which states: Columbia University Press seeks to enhance Columbia University’s educational and research mission by publishing outstanding original works by scholars and other intellectuals that contribute to an understanding of global human concerns.

In early 2015, Mady Hornig and Ian Lipkin, both highly respected ME researchers at Columbia University, had this to say: Immune Signatures in Blood Point to Distinct Disease Stages, Open Door to Better Diagnosis and Treatment. But as I said before, Anna mentions not one single biomedical researcher by name. They are not important in her landscape.

 

[Seven7]

"naive writers pick up the baton"

Are they though, naive. I do not believe this for a second. I think the psys have a paid / owed favors staff.

 

[JaimeS]

Are they though, naive. I do not believe this for a second. I think the psys have a paid / owed favors staff.

The thing is, you don't have to pay anyone to get them to do this. Someone is always going to be into the psychogenic model, particularly psych students with a poor understanding of the hard sciences; as discussed elsewhere, someone is always willing to buy what the psychogenic school is selling.

But the point is, part of what makes psychopaths... themselves is that they are particularly skilled at working someone else, winding them up, and watching them go. They especially enjoy playing the victim in front of sympathetic people, stating implicitly or explicitly that they are too noble to attack on their own behalf. If only there were someone who could step forward.

"Many of the sociopaths recruit others to help them, typically using lies, distortions, and other people’s own experiences to convince them that they should help ruin another person’s life. Bill Eddy calls them “negative advocates” in many of his writings. I’ve often called them the “minions” of the sociopath. Some of these minions later realize that they were used to harm innocent people and end up feeling very bad about their own actions."

You really don't need to have bribed anybody to write this tripe. You just have to convince them they're doing the right thing. If you're especially insidious you say that patients might say this very thing about them, but of course, patients are liars and so you can't trust them.

I've worked with large groups a lot, and there is always at least one of this character type in every workplace... creepy.

-J