Also short Guardian review of film. Positive about film but doesn't go into the issues raised...
https://www.theguardian.com/film/20...out-chronic-fatigue-syndrome?CMP=share_btn_tw
Well . . . the Guardian appeared to be supportive of Jen’s film. Unfortunately, by linking to a previously-published article in the “Read more” box, it again raised the issues from the “wrong” side of the controversy.
This February 2016 article (which several PR members have already commented on) told the story of Samantha Miller who felt “sleepy all the time” after recovering from a viral infection.
Readers are reminded that chronic fatigue syndrome is controversial, that there are disputes regarding whether it even exists, and that it has often been claimed to have a psychological cause. And let’s not forget the “yuppie flu” nickname.
We are introduced to Tim Noakes, a sports physiologist from South Africa who believes that fatigue is not physical, but rather the brain interpreting a sensation or emotion. But the brain “has got its settings wrong. It’s overestimating how fatigued you are.”
Again from Mr. Noakes: “. . . this ‘does hint that their condition might be influenced by psychological factors’. Indeed, one of the most robust scientific findings regarding chronic fatigue is that, when patients are convinced that their condition is biological and untreatable, and fear that engaging in activity will be harmful, they are much less likely to recover. ‘If they believe it’s incurable, it’s incurable’.”
Lucky Samantha Miller . . . she was referred to a specialist named Peter White who was developing the idea that a combination of genetic, environmental and psychological triggers causes the brain to reduce what it considers a safe level of exertion. But here comes GET to the rescue . . . described as slowly retraining patients’ brains that each successive activity level is safe.
And of course CBT, which helps patients to challenge negative ideas and beliefs that they have about their illness, based on the finding that, as long as patients are terrified that any exertion will cause a crash, the fatigue will maintain its grip.
Readers learn about small clinical trials into CBT and GET, and the PACE trial (including recovery statistics), and that “White’s approach was the best treatment available and demonstrated that recovery from the condition is possible.”
They also learn that the ineffective pacing approach advocated by patients is counterproductive, because it reinforces negative beliefs that act to maintain the condition rather than allowing patients to recover.
Here’s a new one for me . . . the speculation (published in the British Medical Journal) that chronic fatigue might be a “meme”, described as “a psychological idea or behaviour that is transmitted from person to person.”
“The authors of the article argued that several medical conditions through history might be due to memes, such as “railway brain”, a combination of fatigue and psychiatric symptoms that affected travelers on trains in the mid-19th century and was thought to be due to invisible brain damage caused by the jolty ride. Perhaps, they said, some aspects of chronic fatigue are spread in a meme-like fashion too.”
All ends well, at least for Samantha Miller -- two-years recovered, thanks to CBT and GET.
Yes, the review of Unrest was positive about the film. It nevertheless has the potential to do a lot of damage with its link to the article summarized above.
Anybody up for commenting on-line?
Edited to tag
@JenB so she'll know the possible implications of providing a link to the Guardian "Unrest" review on her social media accounts.
at least, I didn't mean to. I'm not on twitter either. And I am thankful for all that is achieved.
