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Letter from Sonya Chowdhury in Times re O'Sullivan

JohntheJack

Senior Member
Messages
198
Location
Swansea, UK
Can't link, as paywalled, but as follows:

Illness in the head?
Sir, Your article “What if your illness is all in your head?” (Times2, Apr 27), highlights Suzanne O’Sullivan’s claim that people with myalgic encephalomyelitis (M.E.) are not hypochondriacs, malingerers or crazy, and that they are often profoundly disabled and live miserable lives. These facts are undeniable. What is not true, though, is the assertion by Ms O’Sullivan that M.E. is a psychosomatic illness. We would welcome the chance to see the evidence for this claim. On the contrary, a growing body of research points to the brain abnormalities, inflammation and altered immune response to exercise experienced by people with M.E. What’s needed now is mainstream research funding to build on these studies and develop effective, personalised treatments for people with M.E.
Sonya Chowdhury CEO, Action for M.E.
 

Dolphin

Senior Member
Messages
17,567
Can't link, as paywalled, but as follows:

Illness in the head?
Sir, Your article “What if your illness is all in your head?” (Times2, Apr 27), highlights Suzanne O’Sullivan’s claim that people with myalgic encephalomyelitis (M.E.) are not hypochondriacs, malingerers or crazy, and that they are often profoundly disabled and live miserable lives. These facts are undeniable. What is not true, though, is the assertion by Ms O’Sullivan that M.E. is a psychosomatic illness. We would welcome the chance to see the evidence for this claim. On the contrary, a growing body of research points to the brain abnormalities, inflammation and altered immune response to exercise experienced by people with M.E. What’s needed now is mainstream research funding to build on these studies and develop effective, personalised treatments for people with M.E.
Sonya Chowdhury CEO, Action for M.E.
Good letter, though don't think Suzanne O'Sullivan, a neurologist, should have been called Ms O'Sullivan
 
Messages
13,774
Difficult to address these issues in a short letter. I don't think that this is a strong issue for us, and can end up portraying patients as anti-psychiatry.
 

user9876

Senior Member
Messages
4,556
Agreed, though with the shockingly inaccurate and irresponsible tripe she wrote it's hard to think of her as a doctor. But she is an MD and the title should be used, even if it's an insult to the rest of the profession :p

I thought lots of consultants dropped the title.
 

Grigor

Senior Member
Messages
462
Location
Amsterdam
Good letter, though don't think Suzanne O'Sullivan, a neurologist, should have been called Ms O'Sullivan
Oh I would never ever call her Dr. Ever.... I mean she's been talking BS non stop. No way she deserves the title Dr.
Criminal maybe.
 
Messages
51
Location
Dublin, Ireland
Dear Suzanne O'Sullivan,

I am contacting you in relation to your book 'Its All in your head'. As a trained doctor you will be aware of the need to differentiate between real organic biological illnesses backed up by scientific research findings and clinical findings on one hand and psychosomatic and imagined illnesses on the other hand. There are vast differences between and one should not mix them up. Failure to carry out accurate lab tests with high sensitivity and specificity should not not be an excuse to label patients 'psychosomatic'. I remember one case where an Irish medical doctor claimed a woman had 'woman problems, depression and neurosis' and recommended a psychiatrist for her, when in fact she had Cancer. She died from Cancer because the Irish doctor was happy enough to label her psychosomatic (and insult her for being a woman). Many doctors are too dismissive of patients today, pointing to a lack of professionalism, thoroughness and integrity. In the Chapter 'Rachel' you portray ME / CFS as an imaginary illness based on false beliefs, and this subjective belief of yours is reinforced throughout the book. You will need to educate yourself about certain medical and scientific facts concerning ME and CFS, which I have itemised below
- Firstly in 2015 the NIH and IOM recognised ME / CFS as a serious, biological, physical, multisystem disease in it's report and re-named it SEID. They used extensive research and medical doctors and scientists with expertise in the illness to develop this report and name change.
- There is scientific evidence of infections and immune system, neurological, endocrine, mitochondria and cardiac abnormalities in ME and CFS, please read www.me-ireland.com/scientific.htm
- There are diagnostic protocols and biomarkers for the illness, readhttp://www.me-ireland.com/structure.htm#8 I am in corespondence with senior NIH officials involved in verifying these biomarkers in subgroups of patients, through ongoing intra mural and extra mural studies. I have found the NIH personnel to be very respectful and professional in their work and attitudes. There is no room for psychosomatic nonsense and it's lies.
- Many of your psychological assertions have been analysed and debunked on www.me-ireland.com/bogus.htm
- For a good overview of ME, CFS and Fibromyalgia, please readwww.me-ireland.com

I am sure this will provide you with the necessary information to clear up your misunderstandings.

Best Regards
David Egan