Please tell the Huffington Post that autoimmune disease is not a psychological disorder caused by childhood trauma

[Annikki]

The Huffington Post did an article about the stresses upon Generation X women. It seemed like a fairly decent article until I read this part of it:

"...They said that was true, and it rings true to me too, and that Gen X women also have a ton of autoimmune problems and other physical stuff that is often potentially connected to early trauma."

You can read the entire article here:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-we-cant-sleep-ada-calhoun_n_5e0f9520c5b6b5a713ba0fc7

I do get seriously tired of having to iterate and reiterate time and again that autoimmune disease is physical and not psychological.

There is sad irony in how an article about the stresses upon women pushes a meme which causes stress for women. Perpetuating ideas created by a biased health care system which guarantees people will receive no medical care never did anyone any good.

I don't think it's fair for anyone to go through this. I can't get anything back out of my life but I can at least attempt to make sure no one else faces the same fate. So, in that spirit, can you remind the Huffington Post, that ME and all other autoimmune diseases, like ME/CFS are, yes, Virginia, physical.

Don't let the Huffington Post not misdirect their readers into this pointless head-game created by doctors who do not have our best interests in mind and never have!
I'm all the more disappointed, because Huffington Post once did an article about doctors dismissing women's pain:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/is-t...male-pain-patients_b_589b6b3ee4b061551b3e06ab

Also, considering mid-life is when many people do become sick with autoimmune disease, ME in particular, it's no wonder people in that age group are struggling. It's also telling the article even felt need to mention autoimmune disease. It's likely because ME and all other autoimmune diseases have been on the increase in the past 50 years. However, in spite of this, the response from the medical community has been lagging. Imagine if they handled Coronavirus like ME? The words, "total mess" comes to mind.

 

[anne_likes_red]

She says (per your quote) "autoimmune and other physical stuff" Are you reading that as "autoimmune, and other physical stuff"?

 

[knackers323]

There are some who are theorising that cfs and autoimmune illnesses can possibly be caused by high levels of stress hormones effect on the nervous and immune systems

 

[Hip]

I do get seriously tired of having to iterate and reiterate time and again that autoimmune disease is physical and not psychological.

You have to approach such advocacy carefully and precisely, as stress is linked to the development of autoimmune diseases: one study found that stress was linked to a 36% greater risk of developing 41 autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, Crohn's disease and celiac disease.

The same is true with ME/CFS: several studies found that it was common to experience an episode of major chronic stress in the year before developing ME/CFS.

In the case of ME/CFS, which is usually precipitated by a viral infection, I suspect that it is the immunosuppressive nature of chronic stress which may allow the virus to insinuate itself more deeply into the body, perhaps infecting tissue compartments such as the brain that the virus would not normally reach if the immune system were strong.

A similar explanation may apply to autoimmune diseases: it may be that the immune-modifying effects of stress make autoimmune disease more likely.


So I think the way to approach such advocacy is to agree that major chronic stress may play a role in the development of autoimmune diseases, but to explain that does not mean the disease is created in the mind. Rather, theses autoimmune diseases are physical, but the effects of chronic stress on the immune system may play a role in their development.

Note that we are talking about chronic stress having immunosuppressive effects. Acute periods of stress of less than 1 month are do not count here.

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

So I think the way to approach such advocacy is to agree that major chronic stress may play a role in the development of autoimmune diseases, but to explain that does not mean the disease is created in the mind. Rather, theses autoimmune diseases are physical, but the effects of chronic stress on the immune system may play a role in their development.

I agree with @Hip, and I think a good way to go about it may be to point out the effect that chronic stress has on cardiovascular health and the subsequent development of often terminal heart conditions. The stress may have contributed, but the heart disease, and the subsequent heart attack, is a very real physical disease and is distinctly not "...in, or produced by, the mind ..."

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

@anne_likes_red
I can't tell you how much your avatar tickles me and makes me smile ....

 

[lenora]

Hah! I could tell you about childhood trauma and being a survivor through it!!! Mind you, I do believe in the mind/body connection, so I hope we don't part ways by me saying that. Send link for Huffington Post...I'm against what some countries have done to both children/parents by removing children and placing them in mental hospitals. Just horrid.

 

[xebex]

Mental stress can cause physical disruption in every single part of the body just look at how many biomarkers their are In Depression. And look at how the gut is linked to depression. I have huge panic attacks Only when I take gut changing supps like probiotics or colostrum. Stress related illnesses are not simply psychological I actually dont really believe that any disease is psychological but stress makes physical changes in our bodies and physical changes can come about from psychological stress. I am not taking about ME here. But there is a huge misunderstanding that if disease is stress related then it’s only psychological. Stress physically changes the body. And it not just mental stress it’s physical stress like viruses, car accidents, over training, bacteria etc etc. Every single thing our bodies have to deal with is stress, including psychological stress.

 

[pogoman]

While I'm not a fan of HP's business model of "news", perhaps the writer also meant to include the physical trauma caused by both emotional and physical child abuse on toddler and preteens?
The past year I've had to reopen memories of what I went thru to see if they were potential causes of my autoimmune and neuro issues, especially spinal damage.

 

[Rufous McKinney]

You have to approach such advocacy carefully and precisely, as stress is linked to the development of autoimmune diseases: one study found that stress was linked to a 36% greater risk of developing 41 autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, Crohn's disease and celiac disease.

Thinking about Autism Spectrum Disorder...alot of research on that....is the Autistic 2 year old experiencing a psychologically induced stressor that suppressed their immune system...?

A recent study suggests mothers with auto-immune disorders are more likely to produce children who then are ASD. The immune system of the mother interacting with the fetus, baby.

My mother had autoimmune...issues...and I got all kinds of issues while my older brother experienced none of it.
My mother was also very stressed...that was potentially somehow also transferred to infant Me.

Maybe I am on the spectrum and never...got identified.

 

[lenora]

You have to approach such advocacy carefully and precisely, as stress is linked to the development of autoimmune diseases: one study found that stress was linked to a 36% greater risk of developing 41 autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, Crohn's disease and celiac disease.

The same is true with ME/CFS: several studies found that it was common to experience an episode of major chronic stress in the year before developing ME/CFS.

In the case of ME/CFS, which is usually precipitated by a viral infection, I suspect that it is the immunosuppressive nature of chronic stress which may allow the virus to insinuate itself more deeply into the body, perhaps infecting tissue compartments such as the brain that the virus would not normally reach if the immune system were strong.

A similar explanation may apply to autoimmune diseases: it may be that the immune-modifying effects of stress make autoimmune disease more likely.


So I think the way to approach such advocacy is to agree that major chronic stress may play a role in the development of autoimmune diseases, but to explain that does not mean the disease is created in the mind. Rather, theses autoimmune diseases are physical, but the effects of chronic stress on the immune system may play a role in their development.

Note that we are talking about chronic stress having immunosuppressive effects. Acute periods of stress of less than 1 month are do not count here.

Hello Everyone, Lenora here....I think the points are all the same; we can concur that not just one thing causes this illness, but we would be highly unlikely not to develop some psychological fall-out from it. After all, when we're in the most productive of our years, why would we suddenly take to our beds.l

I also think the responses have to be done in the correct tone; if not we'll just be accused of being a load of nuts, and here's the proof. Slow, measured responses would be best. That's what I'm planning to do if I ever get the address for the Huffington Post. Oh, and when was the article written and placed in the paper, controls, etc. ? There seem to be a unanswered questions, or am I incorrectly assuming? Please let me know your thoughts, a copy of the article and where to send Comments to the Editor to exactly. Thanks! Yours, Lenora

 

[lenora]

Should we appear to be a load of nuts, and here's the proof...us!! Not so, not so. We can and should do better. We're capable of it and we stand for this organization. Who doesn't have stress at some point in their lives? Everyone I know has had considerable stress, yet not one has gone to develop ME/CFS, although most know someone who does have the illness. Interesting, isn't it?

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

Maybe I am on the spectrum and never...got identified.

Very possible. I think a lot of low-spectrum autism and Asperger's goes undiagnosed ...

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

Rufous, kindly send me the exact link to The Huffington Post and I'll read the article and will respond accordingly.

The link to the article was provided by @Annikki , the original poster of this thread. Just go back to the first entry at the top of this page and you'll find it right there, in the original post ....

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

I have one for you that appeared in AARP and will give you the lowdown on Inflammation and its harmful effects on the body.

Could you post that article link for us ?

 

[Rufous McKinney]

So, Rufous, please supply me with the name and e-mail of the Letters to the Editor, and I'll be more than happy to make the distinction between lack of sleep and other symptoms of ME/CFS.

The link is in the first message at the top of the thread...to the Huff Post article...if thats what you needed.

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

@Rufous McKinney

The link to the article was provided by @Annikki , the original poster of this thread. Just go back to the first entry at the top of this page and you'll find it right there, in the original post ....

I posted that info for @lenora 4 1/2 hours ago, and altho she posted shortly after that, she apparently didnt see my tag or post. Maybe yours will have better luck.

 

[lenora]

The link is in the first message at the top of the thread...to the Huff Post article...if thats what you needed.

Thanks, YippeeKo Yow (I guess you fell in love with summer camp, didn't you)....my granddaughter is in her second year as a counselor at her old camp. The child needs to get a more settled summer job routine & then she'll be back to her old self.

I'll go back and try to find the original form and address. If not, I may have to plague you later, if you don't mind. I'll reply as I read half the article an while they didn't come out and accuse us, they did leave things in a rather ambiguous state. No, there's definitely a difference b/tw the two...ME and tiredness that comes with being female and age. And yes, I believe there's a difference just b/tw the sexes, but I believe it's hormone driven. I'm always open to the opinions of others', so please don't be afraid to approach me if you think in a different manner. The fact is that we females take on so many roles as we age; perhaps it's as simple as biologically driven. The young are doing themselves no favors in having their children later and later in age. These matters will only increase with time and they'll be horribly overburdened. I try to give my daughters as much leeway as possible...I can remember being the caretaker of a very cantankerous old woman. Oh, how I remember. Never mind the supposed "money aspect." In many cases there is none left...I've heard that story over, over and over again. OK...I've been up almost all night and, as you can see, am busily pounding the keys early in the a.m. I hope you managed to get at least some sleep. Yours, Lenora.

 

[YippeeKi YOW !!]

@lenora

I'll go back and try to find the original form and address.

It's really not hard.

Go to PAGE ONE of this thread. The very first post has an active link to the article, which will have the information you need re getting a letter to them with your opinion on that article.

 

[lenora]

Hi Yip (mind if I call you that?)....OK, I went back to page 1, re-read the orig. article but I'm still missing something big. Call it my mind; just don't call me stupid! How do I access the Letters to the Editor Section. I found Anniki's original column, clicked on the link but it still didn't take me to where I needed to go. Please put in URL of Letters to the Editor, Huffington Post, and I'll send one ASAP. Thanks, Lenora.