People who seek a solution to concrete health problems in these things are misguided and mistaken.
I would describe the claim that people fully recover with these interventions as not grounded in fact. Even if somebody recovers while following one of these interventions, it is not evidence that the intervention was actually the cause of recovery. I remember reading about a program for youth from unfortunate circumstances that sought to help them develop into responsible adults rather than becoming drug addicts, criminals, etc. like many of them do. There was a control group, and both groups did equally well. The difference is that the people who in the program group attributed their successes to the program. Some people with ME/CFS do recover spontaneously over time, and will likely attribute the recovery to whatever intervention they were doing at the time. Periods of temporary remission are also common, and patients may report a recovery when asked during one of these periods.
There is a difference between resorting to spirituality in the hopes of solving a health problem and practizing spirituality for its own benefits. This line is easily blurred. Practizing acceptance in order to solve a problem also seems like a contradiction to buddist philosopgy to me.
Getting a daily dose of sunlight, learning a new language, listening to music, having a pet and many other things also have health benefits. None of the things you or I mentioned here will cure serious illness.
Having unrealistic expectations from these things is the self deception I'm warning about. People who promote spirituality and psychology are sometimes guilty of creating a sense of mysticism and over the top expectations.
I could say the same about your position. Where is the evidence that these things really help? I've been ill for 15 years and have engaged in my own fair share of self deception, so excuse me if I'm skeptical.
I appreciate that you have greater experience than me, and I value that experience. However, I have to contrast it with Myhill who has treated 5000+ patients in the past 30+ years. She is hardly a psychobabbler, is she?
To me it seems very obvious that if you're sad, anxious, stressed, tense, etc., then this has a knock on affect on other bodily systems and we can improve prognosis by alleviating those states. For instance, stress depletes hormones, unbalances the immune system, causes chronic inflammation, contributes to intestinal permeability, prevents restful sleep and so on. If someone is cramming supplements in their mouth to replete glutathione yet isn't addressing a major cause of glutathione depletion then there is something wrong with that picture.
I concede that the heterogeneity of PWME means that this applies to different people differently, and in some cases may not apply at all. I do not think it is a panacea.
It again comes back to a dogmatic belief system grounded in a historical (and, again, understandable) resistance to the psychologising of ME. I am from a generation that wasn't marginalised by the psychiatric lobby so I don't hold the same grievances as you do and I think that helps me to see the potential of these treatments more clearly.
Furthermore, I don't think this is just important for PWME, I think mind/body techniques can be helpful for a huge variety of physical illness:
Several hundred peer-reviewed studies in the past 20 years have shown that the relaxation response and mind–body interventions are clinically effective in the treatment of many health problems that are caused or made worse by stress. Recent studies show that mind–body interventions may improve prognosis in coronary heart disease and can enhance immune functioning. It is hypothesized that mind–body interventions reduce sympathetic nervous system activation and increase parasympathetic nervous system activity, and thereby restore homeostasis. Researchers have also concluded that cognitive therapy is as effective, and possibly more effective than antidepressant medication in the treatment of major depression. This report provides an overview of some studies that have shown a beneficial role of the relaxation response and cognitive restructuring in the treatment of headaches, insomnia, and cardiovascular disorders. Studies to date suggest that mind–body interventions are effective and can also provide cost savings in patient treatment. It is also clear, however, that mind–body therapies are not panaceas, and should be used in conjunction with standard medical care.
Gregg D. Jacobs. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. December 2001, 7(supplement 1): 93-101. doi:10.1089/107555301753393850.
http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/107555301753393850
Also, I beg to differ: a dose of sunlight does prevent and cure serious illness (e.g. rickets).
ETA: I do agree with you that presenting these things through the veil of mysticism is unhelpful. I think it is something grounded in common sense and should not be the provision of mystics and those with their heads in the clouds. I think we can find a realistic middle way to how these things can help us.
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It does seem like a contradiction in buddhist philosophy indeed, and it is something that newcomers to buddhism often wrestle with. However, it is a case of finding a balance between not fighting my experience in this moment and using the information I gather from my experience to inform what happens next. For instance, if I am thirsty I don't get all uptight about it and worry I am doing myself damage or whatever. I think "ah, this is what thirst feels like, I had better get a glass of water". Obviously this is a basic and crude example but I hope it illustrates how this works. Buddhism is a practice and deep understanding of this kind of distinction develops overtime.
