Chronic fatigue syndrome

Santhouse et al. are proponents of the use of Cognitive Behaviour
(CBT) and Graded Exercise therapy (GET) to cure a neurological illness.
Santhouse et al. ignore the documented pathophysiology of ME/CFS, and
disregard the reality of severe ME/CFS in patients like Lynn Gilderdale.

There is enough reason to believe that the adoption of broad criteria
for ME/CFS does stigmatize patients and "will have crucial influences on
CFS epidemiologic findings, on rates of psychiatric co-morbidity, and
ultimately on the likelihood of finding a biological marker and identified
etiology" (1).

There is evidence that in certain situations psychotherapy can do
harm to ME/CFS patients. We have to consider that the debate is not only
about rigorous science. At stake is the struggle for honoring elementary
human rights to ME/CFS patients (2,3).

1. Jason LA, Richman JA (2007). How Sciences can stigmatize: The case
of chronic fatigue syndrome, Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, 14, 85-
103.

2. Mitchell R, and Mitchell V (2006). CBT, GET And Human Rights, From
the IiME Response to the NICE Draft Guidelines, Invest in ME.

3. Morris D (2001) The lived experiences of ME/CFS: a study into
human rights and equity in tertiary education, ME/CFS society, Adelaide,
Australia.

Competing interests:
None declared