PERMISSION TO REPOST
I have responded to the letters page, as below, to this article in
the Financial Times:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b7f07708-f626-11dc-8d3d-000077b07658.html?nclick_check\=1
Weekend columnist Margaret McCartney
If it's in the mind, it's still the real thing
Published: March 22 2008 02:55
Best wishes
Angela Kennedy
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Margaret McCartney has, sadly, chosen to defend a psychiatric
paradigm which is controversial, and heavily contested by
researchers, medics and patients alike. ("If it's in the mind, it's
still the real thing).
`Somatisation' in an unsafe construct (rather like astrology and
faith healing) which at present can neither be proved nor disproved,
and may never be. Belief in `somatization' is an example of `magical
voluntarism', currently rife in psychotherapeutic, medical and
common sense discourses.
A diagnosis of `unexplained illness' should not translate to `non-
organic' precisely because it is not yet `explained', yet many
doctors assume, illogically and uncritically, that `unexplained'
means `non-organic' by default. Furthermore, there is copious
evidence of `organicity' being found even in `Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome', by scientists internationally, therefore `unexplained`
per se is an inaccurate assumption.
NICE is currently facing a Judicial Review over its guidance, which
focuses on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Graded
Exercise `treatments`, neither of which have been found to help
those suffering the most `organicity' and devastating physical
impairment, and for which there is also evidence of harm to
patients. It fails to address the copious scientific evidence
of `organicity', therefore failing to offer any useful guidance for
doctors, even of diagnosis of specific physiological problems
associated with illnesses often diagnosed as 'CFS'.
For those wishing to find out more about these issues, there are
various resources available, for example by a search of key terms in
this letter .
Yours faithfully
Angela Kennedy
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