Ulrik Fredrik Malt’s response( 1 ) to my post about myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome in the journal no. 9/2004 ( 2 ) and what he calls the ME group, is irrelevant to the core issue. Is the response really an apologia for his own views and practices, a practice that does not conform with practices at other university hospitals? Other universities conform correctly to ICD-10, which classifies myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome as a neurological disorder (diagnostic code G93.3), and have introduced the new clinical criteria ( 3 ). It is not up to individual doctors to classify a disorder in the category that suits them. It is evident that the Malt places himself above ICD-10.
Myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome has more than 30 years been classified as a neurological disorder and will remain so in the upcoming revision of the ICD. The psychiatrization which has been ongoing for many years, has caused major problems for those affected. Patients are ignored, rejected, distrusted, persecuted, mistreated, not taken seriously and suspected of malingering. Contagion and disability are downplayed, and many patients do not get Social Security benefits and assistance on a par with other seriously ill patients. Under the auspices of the US Department of Health a declaration has been adopted which states that “patients have been harmed as a result of disrespect, indifference and ignorance of the medical community” ( 4 ). According to the statement, one must “aggressively embark on disrespect that these patients meet both the general population and the medical community.” It stressed further that there is an urgent need for training of health professionals. In this connection healthcare professionals are advised not to read about myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome in textbooks of psychiatry and instead read other research and literature ( 5 ).
Psychiatrization and trivialization of this suffering must end and textbooks corrected. Health authorities should urgently address this issue as they have done in England.
You can read the rest of this comment here: http://tidsskriftet.no/article/1045776
Source: Stormorken E. Harmful psychiatrization. Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 2004 Jul 1;124(13-14):1826-7; author reply 1827. [Article in Norwegian] http://tidsskriftet.no/article/1045776 (Full article)