Kati
Patient in training
- Messages
- 5,497
Not even the those who take a psychosomatic view of ME/CFS are saying the disease is not real. They are just saying it is maintained by psychological rather than biological factors; ie, saying it is "all in the mind".
I don't think it is unique to have grant applications thwarted because those on the applications board have a vastly different viewpoints. I communicated a while ago with a researcher from a group studying herpes simplex virus etiologies for Alzheimer's. This group get all their grant applications rejected because none of the other Alzheimer's researchers accept the idea that a subset of Alzheimer's might have a viral cause. I felt very frustrated on their behalf, because I think infectious causes of chronic disease are under-researched.
I agree with that @Hip. I don't think physicians would deny the presence of infectious onset, especially in presence of labs which prove it.
However when the patient doesn't recover, then they will start lookimg at psychological factors which apparently perpetuates the symptoms and the illness. It's really twisted. Who would actually think of faking an illness that interrupts their lives, their work, everything, and 'playing' being sick.
Then there is blaming. And suggesting all kinds of stuff. Maybe you have to meditate. Maybe you have to eat better. Maybe you have to exercise even if your body is telling you not.
There has to be research on physician behaviors towards diseases they can't understand. I would suggest there is a consistent pattern happening.