Can positivity cure any disease? (blogpost)

[alex3619]

Maybe this is why doctors have been so willing to let BPS theories go unchallenged: anything involving the psyche seems to make even EBM devotees go a bit flakey.

EBM and psychiatry are an oxymoron. How do you get evidence based guidelines when you have no idea what is really wrong with people? Psychiatry is all about theoretical categories. Very sick people are pigeonholed. There are no diagnostic tests. So there can be zero gold standard studies. As in none, zilch, nada.

Psychiatry has long had a pass on good science. They have alternative scientific standards for the most part. There is some work toward changing this, including at the NIMH which is trying to develop an alternative diagnostic process, but not nearly enough. Psychiatry typically gets a free pass on good scientific methodology. The reason, I suspect, is most claims will utterly fail if forced to use sound scientific and evidentiary processes.

Now there are some psychiatric disorders, or former psychiatric disorders, for which this is changing, including at least schizophrenia and Alzeimers, plus probably a few other types of dementia. We also know psychiatric symptoms can be induced by pathogens and metabolic, genetic and nutritional issues. So science can be done here. It just often isn't.

So instead we get woo therapies, not properly tested, and possibly bogus in many cases.

Psychiatry faces similar issues that CFS and even ME diagnoses do. If doctors are sceptical about ME or CFS then they should give the entire DSM a miss, because all of it in clinical practice is based upon interpretations of symptoms. At least ME has consistent and extreme pathophysiology, though some psychiatric diagnoses do too, like some subgroups in depression.

 

[Sean]

The reason, I suspect, is most claims will utterly fail if forced to use sound scientific and evidentiary processes.

And they know it.

If doctors are sceptical about ME or CFS then they should give the entire DSM a miss,

The double standard is almost unbelievable. But there it is, blatant, shameless, unrelenting, and very disturbing.

 

[sarah darwins]

Illuminating post. Thanks, Alex.

 

[sarah darwins]

Just happened across a Guardian comment piece — Why Pessimists Have a Reason to be Cheerful

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeand...s-equal-happiness-oliver-burkeman-change-life

which is roughly on point. I liked the most recommended comment by 'mitsuko'

 

[pattismith]

Positivity helps patients reject negativity by others (eg doctors 'there is nothing wrong with you' ) and search (eg in PR) for supplements (eg CoQ10, vit B etc) that might help alleviate some symptoms, even if they are not an actual cure.

Positivity allows us to accept that we are ill and need to Pace ourselves so that we have a little energy left over for the occasional pleasures of life: being with our loved ones, spending time in nature, reading a book.

Positivity also tells me to be grateful for what I have because there are so many severely ill me cfs patients who never have any 'energy left over'

This is more about the Letting go philosophy, isn't it?
Accepting you are ill, you have no more control over things, you lose friends and so on...
This is more or less a necessity for us when the disease lasts...

 

[Solstice]

EBM and psychiatry are an oxymoron. How do you get evidence based guidelines when you have no idea what is really wrong with people? Psychiatry is all about theoretical categories. Very sick people are pigeonholed. There are no diagnostic tests. So there can be zero gold standard studies. As in none, zilch, nada.

Psychiatry has long had a pass on good science. They have alternative scientific standards for the most part. There is some work toward changing this, including at the NIMH which is trying to develop an alternative diagnostic process, but not nearly enough. Psychiatry typically gets a free pass on good scientific methodology. The reason, I suspect, is most claims will utterly fail if forced to use sound scientific and evidentiary processes.

Now there are some psychiatric disorders, or former psychiatric disorders, for which this is changing, including at least schizophrenia and Alzeimers, plus probably a few other types of dementia. We also know psychiatric symptoms can be induced by pathogens and metabolic, genetic and nutritional issues. So science can be done here. It just often isn't.

So instead we get woo therapies, not properly tested, and possibly bogus in many cases.

Psychiatry faces similar issues that CFS and even ME diagnoses do. If doctors are sceptical about ME or CFS then they should give the entire DSM a miss, because all of it in clinical practice is based upon interpretations of symptoms. At least ME has consistent and extreme pathophysiology, though some psychiatric diagnoses do too, like some subgroups in depression.

Are you saying there's no solid evidence talking therapy cures anything?

 

[alex3619]

I am saying there is no solid evidence that talking therapy cures the diseases they claim they are diagnosing. So it might be that it does not cure anything. It means they cannot generate a reliable evidence base to make any claims.

I do suspect that specific cognitive problems might be helped by the right therapy. However to show that they have to get the diagnostic process right first.

 

[Solstice]

I am saying there is no solid evidence that talking therapy cures the diseases they claim they are diagnosing. So it might be that it does not cure anything. It means they cannot generate a reliable evidence base to make any claims.

I do suspect that specific cognitive problems might be helped by the right therapy. However to show that they have to get the diagnostic process right first.

I already agreed tbh . Just love seeing you taking it apart.

 

[Mel9]

This is more about the Letting go philosophy, isn't it?
Accepting you are ill, you have no more control over things, you lose friends and so on...
This is more or less a necessity for us when the disease lasts...

Letting go but not giving up?

 

[alex3619]

The double standard is almost unbelievable. But there it is, blatant, shameless, unrelenting, and very disturbing.

I thought it was worth repeating.

 

[notmyself]

maybe positivity can create a better enviroment in the body for the natural healing to occur..stress ,depression is a further attack on the body wich severelly lower to chance for healing..