Invisible Illness A History, from Hysteria to Long Covid, 2026, Mendenhall (book)
- Thread starter Dolphin
- Start date
right, but who is the second reader??
Jonathan Edwards
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Ah. I'm sure there are actually more than three.
Dakota15
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
@dave30th Thanks for this write-up.
Thanks for calling out the atrocities playing out in Minneapolis, too. I've been taken aback a little bit if those in the ME/LC community (stateside and abroad) aren't seeing or comprehending what is transpiring in MN. This has ripples to trust in federal government and HHS/NIH etc, if any weren't making those connections.
Thanks for calling out the atrocities playing out in Minneapolis, too. I've been taken aback a little bit if those in the ME/LC community (stateside and abroad) aren't seeing or comprehending what is transpiring in MN. This has ripples to trust in federal government and HHS/NIH etc, if any weren't making those connections.
I have been following developments from the UK and seen posts on Bluesky from you and others in MN. It's horrifying. I think I saw something about #MEAction USA commenting. I hope you're coping OK. I'm sure others all over the world are with you in sympathy.
Dakota15
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Thanks @Trish.
I understand the outrage of this book, and share that severe disappointment. It's not okay. But it's just hard to get there emotionally right now, when I live less than 15 minutes from where Renee Good & Alex Pretti were murdered by our own federal government (and then lied to/gaslighted). I think observing some specific outrage by certain ME advocates over this book has just made me felt more disconnected to this community than I had felt in some time. Like, I'm worried about getting murdered by a paramilitary masked agent with impunity right now in my neighborhood. I know I'm at an epicenter of an emotional kerosine right now when you're on the front lines, but sometimes I think even in our bubble perspective can be lost on us in terms of thinking it's true life or death, even if we think it feels as such (I also acknowledge the profound grief felt this week with all of us, when our community members are leaving us tragically). I get it though and try my best to be patient and understanding we are all where our feet are, and how that shapes how we view the world around us.
Thanks Dave again for acknowledging, and seeing us here in MN while we stand shoulder to shoulder against tyranny. And hoping for a day when books are published on this disease that we don't have to do the heavy lifting of fact-checking, auditing, quality control & more.
I understand the outrage of this book, and share that severe disappointment. It's not okay. But it's just hard to get there emotionally right now, when I live less than 15 minutes from where Renee Good & Alex Pretti were murdered by our own federal government (and then lied to/gaslighted). I think observing some specific outrage by certain ME advocates over this book has just made me felt more disconnected to this community than I had felt in some time. Like, I'm worried about getting murdered by a paramilitary masked agent with impunity right now in my neighborhood. I know I'm at an epicenter of an emotional kerosine right now when you're on the front lines, but sometimes I think even in our bubble perspective can be lost on us in terms of thinking it's true life or death, even if we think it feels as such (I also acknowledge the profound grief felt this week with all of us, when our community members are leaving us tragically). I get it though and try my best to be patient and understanding we are all where our feet are, and how that shapes how we view the world around us.
Thanks Dave again for acknowledging, and seeing us here in MN while we stand shoulder to shoulder against tyranny. And hoping for a day when books are published on this disease that we don't have to do the heavy lifting of fact-checking, auditing, quality control & more.
Last edited:
That's very understandable. When I think of all the horrors in the world, I sometimes wonder why I'm cross about what some stupid ignorant person has written in a book. You are in the midst of such a threatening situation, I can only imagine how outraged and terrified you and the people around you must be.
V.R.T.
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
@Dakota15 I am so angry about what ICE are doing in Minneapolis and can't imagine what you are going through right now. It is truly terrifying what is happen right now.
With respect, this MECFS stuff is life or death though. Simon Wessely propagates a policy which leads to the severe disablement and death of pwME. So when someone capitulates to his threats and pulls part of her book criticising PACE, people have a right to be outraged and angry. Because people become disabled and die because of the Wesselyite approach to MECFS. Whether or not my doctors believe in his conception of ME/CFS if I am hospitalised could be the difference between if I ever leave there again or not. It is unwritten NHS policy to let very severe pwME starve to death, and gaslight mild and moderate pwME into doing GET and CBT which often lead to extreme disablement. Other pwME get sectioned and made much worse while committed.
I understand you are under an unimaginable amount of stress right now but I'm surprised to see you invalidate the very real danger pwME face from people like Simon Wessely and their impact NHs policy in this way.
As a huge Hold Steady and Husker Du fan who has watched the situation in Minneapolis with helpless fury and fear, I extend solidarity to you. But please bear in mind that that the danger to pwME from psychosomatic theories is not theoretical but actual and tangible.