• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

The Power of Propaganda?

Mohawk1995

Senior Member
Messages
287
Wow some very powerful stuff there! As we have seen historically, propaganda can be very powerful but it cannot completely overwhelm the truth. The whole Wessely thing is a house of cards (to stay polite.) No substance to it!
 
Messages
2,158
I have just finished reading this whole document. It is absolutely damning of Wessely and his disciples.
But it is also clear we have a long way to go in changing the British establishment's fawning to the appalling man and his bogus theories.

I sometimes wonder what happened in SW's distant past to make him so vitriolic in his abuse of sick people and his clinging to his ridiculous beliefs for so many decades.

The only conclusion I can come to is that the man is insane.

How odd that he is surrounded by psychiatrists, and not one of them has noticed.

Time for another donation to biomedical research. It's the only way I can think of to fight back.
 

Countrygirl

Senior Member
Messages
5,431
Location
UK
I have just finished reading this whole document. It is absolutely damning of Wessely and his disciples.

The only conclusion I can come to is that the man is insane.
He is probably very sane, and has just been churning out the lies demanded by his masters to please the Establishment and support their agenda. They have rewarded him well for severely harming and destroying a whole generation of very sick people. Evil man.
 

Dx Revision Watch

Suzy Chapman Owner of Dx Revision Watch
Messages
3,061
Location
UK
Note on Page 7 of this 56 page document:

"It is possible that, as a result of the Wessely School’s activities, the forthcoming
revision of both the WHO International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) and the
American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-V)
will reclassify ME/CFS as “Medically Unexplained Symptoms” (MUS); other terms
include Functional Somatic Syndrome (FSS) and Bodily Distress Syndrome (BDS),
these being the proposed replacement names for somatisation disorder, with the
result that patients with an organic disorder will be managed as though they suffer
from a mental disorder."


With regard to classification systems, this paragraph is not up to date.

The revision of DSM-IV is Trademarked as "DSM-5".

The DSM-5 was published in May 2013 and has been in use for over three years.

The replacement for the DSM-IV Somatoform disorder categories was not "Medically Unexplained Symptoms (MUS)" or "Functional Somatic Syndrome (FSS)" or "Bodily Distress Syndrome (BDS)".

These three terms and disorder constructs were rejected quite early on in the revision process (by 2009) by the DSM-5 Somatic symptom disorder Work Group.

The DSM-5 replacement for the DSM-IV Somatoform disorder categories is "Somatic symptom disorder" - a construct which can include patients with symptoms which may be associated with general medical conditions such as cancer, coronary disease or diabetes.

One of the defining characteristics of SSD is that it dispenses with the requirement for symptoms to be "medically unexplained."


For ICD-11, the proposed replacement for the Somatoform disorder categories and Neurasthenia in the Mental and behavioural disorders chapter is "Bodily distress disorder" - as defined by ICD-11 Beta proposals - a construct which draws heavily on the DSM-5's Somatic symptom disorder for conceptualization, definition, characteristics and criteria.

In ICD-11 core edition, Somatic symptom disorder is listed under Synonyms under "Bodily distress disorder".


There is no proposal for ICD-11 core edition to replace the Somatoform disorders and Neurasthenia with the term "Medically Unexplained Symptoms (MUS)".

Like SSD, ICD-11's proposed "BDD" does not require that symptoms should be "medically unexplained":

"If a medical condition is causing or contributing to the symptoms, the degree of attention is clearly excessive in relation to its nature and progression."

There are no proposals for ICD-11 core edition to introduce the terms "Functional Somatic Syndrome (FSS)" or "Bodily Distress Syndrome (BDS)".

In 2015, WHO's Dr Robert Jakob confirmed that there were no proposals or intention to classify ME or CFS under the Mental and behavioural disorders chapter.


It is the case that in the UK, MUS services and Persistent physical symptom services have and are being rolled out in some areas of the country, see my recent thread:

MUS, PPS services and integration into NHS primary care - what's happening across the UK?


and that there is additional IAPT funding available for bidders to develop integrated IAPT services for delivering CBT for LTCs and MUS, and for developing IAPT services for delivering CBT and GET specifically for CFS.


It is also the case that in the UK, the term "Functional Somatic Syndrome" has been in use since at least 1999.

It is the case that the term "Bodily Distress Syndrome" is also being seen on the websites of some service providers.

It is the case that Per Fink and colleagues have been invited by Berkshire IAPT services (see MUS thread above) to train clinicians in TERM therapy.


There is however, no category for the terms "Medically Unexplained Symptoms", "Functional Somatic Syndrome" or "Bodily Distress Syndrome (BDS)" within either the APA's DSM-5, which published several years ago, nor proposed for the core edition of ICD-11, which is currently scheduled for release (though not for WHA endorsement) at some point after May 2018.


Since July 2015, SNOMED CT has listed CFS, with ME under Synonyms, under the single Parent: Multisystem disorder.

Prior to July 2015, all editions of SNOMED CT had listed Chronic fatigue syndrome (with ME – Myalgic encephalomyelitis and several other related and historical terms listed under Synonyms) dual assigned under two parent disorder classes: Mental disorder, and Multisystem disorder.

The change to a single disorder parent was brought about following approaches to HSCIC by the Countess of Mar between November 2014 and June 2015.

This change was also applied to the Read Codes (CTV3), which are used in primary care, but which are being retired and subsumed into SNOMED CT.

Following the retirement of Read Codes (CTV3), SNOMED CT is to be used as the single terminology across all health care settings in England, with a projected adoption date for the entire health system of April 2020.


Within the next couple of weeks, I anticipate being in a position to update stakeholders on the status of proposals for the three G93.3 ICD-10 legacy terms for ICD-11 and I shall be creating a dedicated thread for ICD-11 updates.
 
Last edited:

user9876

Senior Member
Messages
4,556
I sometimes wonder what happened in SW's distant past to make him so vitriolic in his abuse of sick people and his clinging to his ridiculous beliefs for so many decades.

The only conclusion I can come to is that the man is insane.
.

I think it is very hard to understand someones motivations and why they do stuff. But in religion we see people with strong beliefs do horrible things because of those beliefs. I tend to think Wessely is a true believer in psychosomatic evidence and nothing he sees in the evidence would ever convince him otherwise but this leaves him believing that he is doing the 'right' thing.

What I find worrying is the amount of the medical profession who do believe in such explanations within the UK. I see it part of their superiority complex where they believe they are not ill because they are strong cleaver people and hence those who are ill are weak. They then wrap in up in talk of subconscious thought because they don't want to think of themselves as blaming patients as that causes cognitive dissonance with their self image of being caring people.
 

Molly98

Senior Member
Messages
576
The more I read of this the more distressing I found it, that the medical profession and the BPS lot can be so blind and unaffected by other people's immense suffering on an individual level but also on a mass level is chilling to the core, and that it has gone unchallenged is even worse, and all for the sake of an ideology and a fiercely held dogmatic belief, hmm where have we seen that before, Er Nazi Germany, Apartide in South Africa, communism, religious fundamentalism, to name just a few. The difference here being that the victims and their suffering are hidden from view.

Wessley, if you are reading, and we know you like to monitor everything online to do with ME especially where your name comes up, hear this.

You are a dangerous man who is completely blind to his own abusive and destructive nature.

You of all people are in need of a psychiatrist, the harm you inflict on innocent people who are already suffering, with no sense of conscience, no empathy, no respect and no remorse, and with such cruelty and disdain, is not normal human behaviour.

You have a blind spot the size of a crater. How can you treat others when you are so blind to your own demons? the harm you cause while being in the position you are in makes a mockery of the whole profession of psychiatry.

One day you will be judged for what you have done and the immense suffering you have caused, there are many powerful men just like you who have caused suffering on a large scale, whose despot ways have been turned a blind eye to because of their titles and positions of authority, who are now finally being held accountable and responsible for their actions, so to will you.

Let's hope the world wakes up while you are still alive because it would be a day for celebration the day you are held accountable for the suffering you have inflicted on the millions of ME sufferers.

Your past will catch up with you, there is too much-recorded evidence for you to cover it up now, I hope I am still around to see your world come crashing down around you, when the media, the authorities and the public awake from their sleep and see the horrific reality you, yes you created for us and turn against you with sickness and repulsion.

And just like with Jimmy Savile they will be all saying, how did we let this happen? how did he get away with it for so long? how did this go unchallenged by so many different authorities? how did he have such influence and power over so many?

That day is coming ever closer, I would be rather scared if I was in your position.

Even if you die before it happens, your name will be mud and you will go down in history for all the wrong reasons.
 
Messages
3,263
The difference here being that the victims and their suffering are hidden from view.
Yes, absolutely, @Molly98! It turned out to be pretty easy for people in Nazi Europe to deny the overwhelming evidence that whole groups of people were being rounded up and never seen again. Only the physical evidence itself - photos from the gas chambers - was enough to convince them.

Denial is much, much easier when the victims are completely hidden, and people can write them off as deluded and crazy.
 

Chrisb

Senior Member
Messages
1,051
Given the nature of some of the correspondence which has made its way into the public domain, every time I see a repetition of that vile calumny about links to the insurance industry, with its clear and obvious implications, I expect to see a demand for a retraction and apology. I must have missed those.

It is interesting seeing again the references to the 1980's. I seem to recall that there were then occasional similar comments, seeming to indicate only borderline sanity, from a professor of psychiatry in Liverpool. I think I recall the name. It would be interesting to know in which direction influence was passing.
 

Daisymay

Senior Member
Messages
754
On page 31 there was a typo referring to 55 million people in the UK who have ME, which should have read 55 thousand. We apologise for any confusion, it's now been corrected.
 

Dx Revision Watch

Suzy Chapman Owner of Dx Revision Watch
Messages
3,061
Location
UK
On page 31 there was a typo referring to 55 million people in the UK who have ME, which should have read 55 thousand. We apologise for any confusion, it's now been corrected.

Is the paragraph about ICD-11 and DSM-5 also going to be corrected?


On the subject of ICD-11 and the proposed replacement for the ICD-10 somatoform disorders:

On March 1, I submitted a formal Proposal via the Beta draft Submissions mechanism in relation to proposed category, "Bodily distress disorder."

Proposals are screened by WHO ICD staff and forwarded to the appropriate Topic Advisory Group for their consideration, in this case, the Advisory Group for Mental or behavioural disorders.

In order to read the submission in situ, it is necessary to be registered with the Beta draft.

The submission can also be read here, in PDF format:

https://dxrevisionwatch.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/bdd-submissionv2.pdf
 

Dx Revision Watch

Suzy Chapman Owner of Dx Revision Watch
Messages
3,061
Location
UK
Is the paragraph about ICD-11 and DSM-5 also going to be corrected?


On the subject of ICD-11 and the proposed replacement for the ICD-10 somatoform disorders:

On March 1, I submitted a formal Proposal via the Beta draft Submissions mechanism in relation to proposed category, "Bodily distress disorder."

Proposals are screened by WHO ICD staff and forwarded to the appropriate Topic Advisory Group for their consideration, in this case, the Advisory Group for Mental or behavioural disorders.

In order to read the submission in situ, it is necessary to be registered with the Beta draft.

The submission can also be read here, in PDF format:

https://dxrevisionwatch.files.wordpress.com/2017/03/bdd-submissionv2.pdf


On February 28, I opened a new thread for information on ICD-11 proposals:

ICD-11 status reports: G93.3 legacy terms: PVFS, BME, CFS

http://forums.phoenixrising.me/inde...eports-g93-3-legacy-terms-pvfs-bme-cfs.49549/