25/5 Chat on ME and the Psychosocial Agenda: Introductory Tweets and Questions
Introductory Tweets and Questions for the 25/5 #CripTheVoteUK chat
Welcome to tonight’s #CripTheVoteUK chat, looking at ME & the #psychosocialagenda
We are pleased to have guest host @robmcd85 with us today!
Please remember to use the #CripTheVoteUK hashtag when you tweet. FYI: today’s chat will be 70min long.
If you respond to a question such as Q1, your tweet should follow this format: “A1 [your message] #CripTheVoteUK”
Some background information: myalgic encephalomyelitis is a disabling neuroimmune condition. #CripTheVoteUK
It is often misdiagnosed as or wrongly conflated with chronic fatigue syndrome — in fact its symptoms are much more wide-ranging than just fatigue. #CripTheVoteUK
Within the #NHS, ME is treated exclusively using the ‘biopsychosocial model’. #CripTheVoteUK #endthestigma
The biopsychosocial model uses holistic language — negotiating biological impairment within psychological & social contexts. #CripTheVoteUK
However, it has actually been used to frame ME as a psychological disorder — and to limit available treatments for ME to graded exercise & psychotherapy. #CripTheVoteUK
This is despite the fact that the large-scale PACE trial that ‘validated’ these treatments has now been widely discredited. #CripTheVoteUK
Link to article on the discredited PACE trial: https://www.statnews.com/2016/09/21/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-pace-trial/ #CripTheVoteUK
The continued application of the BPS model to ME is referred to as the #psychosocialagenda. #CripTheVoteUK
It is significant in the context of #GE2017 because it is a case where scientific research and medical protocols have been manipulated > #CripTheVoteUK
in service of government agendas such as ‘welfare-to-work’ and decreased NHS spending. #CripTheVoteUK
Because of this, & because ME often receives very little attention in either medical or political contexts, > #CripTheVoteUK
we want to spend this evening discussing it in greater depth. #CripTheVoteUK
With that, we’ll hand the reins over to @robmcd85 who will be tweeting today’s questions!
Q0. Please introduce yourself in a way you’re comfortable with. What is your interest in ME and/or the #psychosocialagenda? #CripTheVoteUK
Q1. If you have an #invisibleillness, what has your experience with seeking health / social care been like? #CripTheVoteUK
Q2. If you have had psychotherapy and / or done graded exercise therapy, how have they affected your physical and #mentalhealth? #CripTheVoteUK
Q3. If you have claimed benefits as a person with #invisibleillness, what has your experience with the DWP been like? #CripTheVoteUK
Q4. How does treatment of ME in Britain differ from elsewhere in the world? #CripTheVoteUK
Q5. Do you consider the #psychosocialagenda to be a political issue? Why or why not? #CripTheVoteUK
This concludes the #CripTheVoteUK chat on ME and the #psychosocialagenda. Thank you to our guest host @robmcd85!
Please keep the convo going & join us for our 28/5 chat on Disability & the NHS, guest hosted by @HannahPopsy!
If you are interested in sharing your experiences with the treatment of ME in Britain, you can do so (anonymously) at https://t.co/Bi9lRNkGNv
Thanks again for joining us!