Hutan
Senior Member
- Messages
- 1,099
- Location
- New Zealand
True. And the term Illness Behaviour came first I think, to cover the very broad range of behaviours when ill such as seeking medical care. Which makes the Sickness Behaviour term, which sounds so very similar, all the more problematic.Illness behaviour and sickness behaviour are not the same.
Sickness Behaviour is, I think, an instinct driven by chemical signalling and the resulting symptoms - to withdraw, to focus on getting well. And people like Mansel Awlyard (quoted above) think that humans can and should overcome base animal instincts - it's just a matter of attitude.
Despite the heat in some of the conversations, I doubt that we are all that far apart on this issue. Yes, Sickness Behaviour has a specific scientific meaning that makes no moral judgement. But obviously people can easily misunderstand and mis-use the term and concept.
I don't know what we do, other than to describe theories of Sickness Behaviour in relation to ME in terms of the biochemistry (pro-inflammatory cytokines etc) and make sure others do too. And fervently hope that the actual cause of ME has a better name.
... 'My faulty sickness behaviour is causing my chronic fatigue syndrome...' arghh. A battle for another day.