Dr David Marks: The Rise and Fall of the Psychosomatic Approach to Medically Unexplained Symptoms, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Synd

[Countrygirl]

Archives of Epidemiology & Public Health Research



The Rise and Fall of the Psychosomatic Approach to Medically Unexplained
Symptoms, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

David F Marks, Email: dfmarksphd@gmail.com

Submitted: 06 Dec 2022; Accepted: 12 Dec 2022; Published: 26 Dec 2022

The psychosomatic approach to medically unexplained symptoms, myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome (MUS/ME/CFS) is critically reviewed using scientific criteria. Based on the ‘Biopsychosocial Model’, the psychosomatic theory proposes that patients’ dysfunctional beliefs, deconditioning and attentional biases cause or make illness worse, disrupt therapies, and lead to preventable deaths. The evidence reviewed suggests that none of these psychosomatic hypotheses is empirically supported. The lack of robust supportive evidence together with the use of fallacious causal assumptions, inappropriate and harmful therapies, broken scientific principles, repeated methodological flaws and an unwillingness to share data all give the appearance of cargo cult science. The psychosomatic approach needs to be replaced by a scientific, biologically grounded approach to MUS/ME/CFS that can be expected to provide patients with appropriate care and treatments. Patients with MUS/ME/CFS and their families have not been treated with the dignity, respect and care that is their human right. Patients with MUS/ME/CFS and their families could consider a class action legal case against the injuring parties.

Review Article

1. INTRODUCTION
This review concerns a story filled with drama, pathos and tragedy.
It is relevant to millions of seriously ill people with conditions
that have no known cause or cure.1 Effective care for such
patients is almost zero, with bed rest, hope and prayer being the
only safe remedies. The drama began in Los Angeles in 1934
when an outbreak of 'epidemic neuromyasthenia' hit the news
[1]. Similar outbreaks occurred in many other places: Iceland,
South Africa, Australia, Switzerland, Denmark, and London. No
medical solution has yet been forthcoming, and patients continue
to suffer. Their tragic story is yet to be taken seriously and
waiting to be told. This review is dedicated to them. The focus is
the psychosomatic approach of psychiatrists, psychologists and
others within the ‘psychosomatic school’ (PS).

(Document attached.)

 

[Rufous McKinney]

 

[linusbert]

i even downloaded that pdf. good piece.

but the fact that you even need a scientific study and analysis to proof that shooting psycho diagnosises out of the MD's bum while patient hasnt even entered the MDs office fully yet... isnt scientific nor working.

how did this become a valid method of practicing medicine is far beyond me.
its outright ideology and garbage, also a bit dellusions of grandeur.


and this is often told in CFS context. truth is, doctors do this approach now as standard for everything. even treatable things like cardiac arrest and stuff. its so creepy.
we really need a accountability model in medicine practice. doctors and clinics need to be accounted for repeatedly applying non working practices and the damage done to patients.
and no, what is in place right now doesnt work at all. its a disgrace.
and this shouldnt be circumventable by forcing the patient to sign a staple of papers...

Spoiler: EDIT: my suggestions how it could be improved:

- MDs get lifetime ban from job if they misdiagnose something like cardiac arrest for some kind of psycho diagnosis AND clinic has to pay MILLIONS for damages.

- MD's arent allowed to give any psychiatric diagnosis

- MD's arent even allowed to suggest or hint or even think about psychiatric diagnosis

- only psychiatric doctors or clinical psychologist are allowed to give a psychiatric diagnosis

--BUT ONLY if the patient seeked them out separately to check for this AND the clinical psychologist isnt refered to by MDs and doesnt even know the previous treating MDs. so there is no possibility that a MD might prime the psychologist with diagnosises in advance.

-- the patient is to decide if he wants this diagnosis written on paper

-- psychiatric diagnosis are never shared with other doctors and clinics. not even clinical psychologist.

--- because there is always a stigmata with those.


- if a really dangerous psychopath, someone who commited crime in psychosis or any psychiatric ill state does refuse to be examined by clinical psychologist... he is put in prison like everyone else would for the crime.

- no one is admitted to any asylum against his will. people must treat their sickness voluntarely.
-- "why make out of a happy horse a sad human?" , so as long as there is no danger to the patient and others and he manages to live his life without assistence, there is no need to forcefully put them into a asylum at all.

- asylum stays and visits to clinical psychologist are always anonymous.

- the psycho diagnosis must be on a separate paper. never be on the same as somatic illneses and diagnosis.

 

[Sad Dad]

When my daughter got sick 5 years ago, pyscho-babble (CBT, etc.) was not only alive and well, but being practiced by major medical institutions throughout the world. We should be happy that we've come so far

 

[BrightCandle]

I hope this is the turning point and not just a wobble on the way to further BPS progression in medicine. But if we have past the peek its not far past it and we only just now turning the corner. We likely have a decline of its influence for the next 20-40 years. But there is every chance this is just a wobble unless something concrete comes out of LC funding, if the LC funding dries up the only people left in the field will be the independent researchers like OMF and all the BPS lot funded by the Norwegian, Swedish and British governments and we will have another dark ages.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

The article makes a comment about how the psycho ME patient is so busy seeking doctors and care.

I think this is funny since I gave up on them in 1963.

 

[linusbert]

The article makes a comment about how the psycho ME patient is so busy seeking doctors and care.

I think this is funny since I gave up on them in 1963.

absolutely agree.
i am done with them as well.
last year i probably broke my feet after i fell down. it wasnt a open break if it was one at all. i also could move the toes so i refused my doctors plea to get in the hospital for treatment. nobody understood... but if it were minor fractures they wouldnt have done anything at all besides stabilizing feet. it hurt like hell, i couldnt walk on one leg at all, had to lift me with utils.
i can already imagine that the clinic md's would just label me a hypochondriac for coming to the clinic with a muscle pulled or some psychiatric pain syndrome.

when i got covid for the first time in early 2020 i had a pretty rough first day, with resting heart rate of 150 even when sleeping (my watch measures and makes diagrams while sleeping). the emergency doctors came and wanted really bad to bring me to the clinic to further check for heart issues. they insisted but i refused hard and told them with my precondition they wouldnt do anything in the clinic at all besides telling me i am just having a panic attack or some weird psycho symptoms.

i am no tough guy. pre-cfs i would have gone both times to the clinic, better beeing safe.

but no thanks. i avoid those a$$ clown "doctors" in the holy clinics at all costs. they do nothing for me except make out of a bad situation a very bad situation.

 

[Countrygirl]

Here is the link to the article: https://www.opastpublishers.com/pee...P6B3eL9XlYS425OQn2e84k9vSkiLsx9wE0syPc7kXvCgo

 

[SWAlexander]

Now social media is reviving again.

"The Rise and Fall of the Psychosomatic Approach to Medically Unexplained Symptoms, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" https://www.researchgate.net/public...ncephalomyelitis_and_Chronic_Fatigue_Syndrome.

Now psychologists accusing mothers of Münchhausen By Proxy Syndromes.
The Spiegel report (translation):
"A court has now 7 months after being taken into care, decided: The boy can go home! The absurd accusation of #MünchausenByProxy syndrome against the mother whose child developed severe #PostCovid syndrome has been refuted. Lack of knowledge among doctors."
As one person wrote: "If you need to see a doctor the best is to come with a lawyer".

How can we stop this harmful pseudo-psychology? Sigmund Freud's worshiper analysis just doesn't match scientific facts.

 

[linusbert]

its sadly funny, psychologicial diseases which are so rare that barely a doctor ever witnessed a real case... are diagnosed like 50%.
at the same time, when talking about other real diseases they say "naa those a rare" ... like if rare means not existent... also on the other side, the rarest psychiatric diseases ever existed are thrown around like hot potatoes.

the female head of nutritional sciences at our university clinic told me that 50% of all folks with GERD symptoms are psychiatric. thats seamingly why 100% of people with GERD symptoms are treated like psychiatric. i didnt get any test, i just was diagnosed in door. after doing the tests my self i found things like fructose malabsorption which are physiological issues and can be treated well.
doctors are bad in statistics, they rarely require it in university and the results are pretty obvious.