Cfs Quote by Margaret Williams
““For the last 48 years, myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) has been formally classified by the World Health Organisation as a neurological disorder but for the last 29 years a group of UK psychiatrists (known as the Wessely School) have denied it exists other than as an aberrant belief; they insist that it is a mental (behavioural) disorder that can be cured by graded exercise and “cognitive re-structuring”.””
About This Quote
Source Article: The Guardian, 2020
ME is classified as neurological, yet some UK psychiatrists label it mental, leading to controversial treatments.
In simple terms: ME’s classification is disputed, affecting care.
Key Takeaway
Advocate for accurate medical classification and evidence‑based treatment.
Themes
medical ethics
diagnostic controversy
patient advocacy
Mood
concerned
advocacy
Type
medical
political
When to use this quote
- clinical practice
- patient support groups
- policy reform
Key Concepts
neuroscience
psychiatry
health policy
Questions to Reflect On
- How does misclassification impact patient outcomes?
- What evidence supports a neurological basis?
A Different Perspective
Medical consensus can be slow and politicized.
![“It is [Simon] Wessely’s often-unconcealed “derision” directed towards people with ME -- a disease from which people die and which appears on Coroners’ death certificates as the cause of death -- which arouses such anger, an anger that is not confined to patients in the UK but encompasses medical…” quote by Michael Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/24c/michael-hanlon-75265_anger_it-is-simon-wessely-s-often-unconcealed_2960000.jpg)
![“Several years ago I was lecturing in British Columbia. Dr [Simon] Wessely was speaking and he gave a thoroughly enjoyable lecture on M.E. and CFS. He had the hundreds of staff physicians laughing themselves silly over the invented griefs of the M.E. and CFS patients who according to Dr Wessely had…” quote by Byron Hyde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5b1/byron-hyde-181868_british-columbia_several-years-ago-i-was-lecturing-in-bri_1382328.jpg)
