4 ms·

> The literature review found sufficient evidence that ME/CFS is a disease with a physiologic basis. It is not, as many clinicians believe, a psychological prob

> The literature review found sufficient evidence that ME/CFS is a disease with a physiologic basis. It is not, as many clinicians believe, a psychological problem that should not be taken seriously It feels so weird to separate the psychological and physiological so cleanly. It seems obvious psychological stresses can damage someone physiologically over time, and vis versa. Otherwise you are making a claim that 'mind' and 'body' are separate, an outdated viewpoint originating in ancient times when everyone believed in the soul. It just seems that having a certain type of prolonged psychological outlook (say, being stressed to death because of school, work, social pressures, existential angst, etc.) can cause serious, and 'real' physical issues and imbalances, enough for doctors to label something as a syndrome.

Klinky 12y ago
Do we tell cancer or AIDS patients their only hope is to change their outlook on life? No. We know the physiological cause and treat it. A psychosomatic diagnosis is often a cop out when your illness doesn't fall within the confines of a doctor's knowledge. You should never take such a diagnosis at face value. There is so much we don't know about the impact of viruses & microbes on our immune system.
- collyw 12y ago
  Likewise, there is so much we don't know about the effects of psychology on our immune system. We can see that stress has a negative effect on health, why wouldn't the opposite be true?
- practicalpants 12y ago
  > Do we tell cancer or AIDS patients their only hope is to change their outlook on life? No. We know the physiological cause and treat it. Well, this is the worst possible interpretation of my point, or whatever they call that in debate circles. I never said all physical ailments have a psychological basis, obviously a virus doesn't, just some of them very well could. I think it's crazy as well as ignores a lot of evidence out there to rule out all physical ailments from having a psychological basis. A scenario often cited towards this is the plunge in life expectancy across the board following the collapse of communism in ex-communist states, due to tremendous amounts of stress from a forced change in your way of life. Clearly psychological dimensions can affect your physical health and balance of systems in your body. I agree that such a diagnosis should only be a last resort, but I disagree that it should never be considered a valid diagnosis.

Klinky 12y ago

Do we tell cancer or AIDS patients their only hope is to change their outlook on life? No. We know the physiological cause and treat it. A psychosomatic diagnosis is often a cop out when your illness doesn't fall within the confines of a doctor's knowledge. You should never take such a diagnosis at face value. There is so much we don't know about the impact of viruses & microbes on our immune system.

collyw 12y ago
Likewise, there is so much we don't know about the effects of psychology on our immune system. We can see that stress has a negative effect on health, why wouldn't the opposite be true?
practicalpants 12y ago
> Do we tell cancer or AIDS patients their only hope is to change their outlook on life? No. We know the physiological cause and treat it. Well, this is the worst possible interpretation of my point, or whatever they call that in debate circles. I never said all physical ailments have a psychological basis, obviously a virus doesn't, just some of them very well could. I think it's crazy as well as ignores a lot of evidence out there to rule out all physical ailments from having a psychological basis. A scenario often cited towards this is the plunge in life expectancy across the board following the collapse of communism in ex-communist states, due to tremendous amounts of stress from a forced change in your way of life. Clearly psychological dimensions can affect your physical health and balance of systems in your body. I agree that such a diagnosis should only be a last resort, but I disagree that it should never be considered a valid diagnosis.