(not important) 2014 Wessely book's chapter on Somatization.

[IreneF]

What about those of us who take an antidepressant that works well for depression, but doesn't do a thing for ME/CFS?

 

[Art Vandelay]

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The second is that the evidence base (placebo controlled RCTs) show that SSRIs show no benefit for depression in CFS patients. (whereas other classes of anti depressants have shown an effect on lowering depression)

It's not only people with CFS, it's also the case the SSRIs were shown to be no better than placebo for most patients with just depression.

Eg, http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/antidepressants-do-they-work-or-dont-they/

 

[Valentijn]

slightly OT but briefly - was Wesselys work into GWS along similar lines as CFS - IE somatization based on psychological factors?

Yes. To the best of my knowledge, that's the only approach he's ever taken toward physical symptoms with an unknown pathology. He's made similar claims regarding sudden onset of widespread medical problems in third-world factories, in 9/11 firefighters, and in a town full of people whose water supply was contaminated with huge levels of aluminum.

And if so how could he have been given a knighthood?!

Politics. He is also extremely charming when he gives presentations and such. He has a lot of useful connections, and I think he knows very well how to play to the media.

I sat next to a ex-army General recently who told me how obviously physically ill some of his guys were - he described them as almost dead...its crazy if psychiatrists have been let loose on those guys...

It is unfortunate. Especially since innocent VA therapists in the US are being duped by Wessely & Co into treating GWS patients in an abusive and neglectful manner. The difference is that GWS patients have guns and a lot of training in using them - I wouldn't be surprised if the situation becomes fatal for some clueless therapists and outraged patients.

 

[marypoppins]

Very interesting, thank you for posting this chapter. Now I know why I have been diagnosed with somatisation disorder and neurasthenia. Ha, ha. After years of suffering and humiliation in the hand of doctors, hundreds of hours of research I finally diagnosed myself as having ME (I can tick all the Canadian Consensus Criteria). I developed my own protocol by trial and error. Once I accepted that I must have ME and finally started to take appropriate measures, like stop pushing myself I started getting better. It's all in my head, of course.

 

[marypoppins]

Yes, this is widely known amongst patients at UK CFS clinics, and the pyschs while lying to our faces will happily discuss it behind our backs - there are published papers on the subject along with books like the one in this thread.

It's quite bizarre, the hiding in plain sight almost. A sign of people who believe themselves to be basically untouchable.

If anyone can get hold of the full paper, I think they talk about the conning people onto antidepressants here

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11144910

I wished I could get a hold of this paper.