Is the mind-body movement a scam ?

Frogsquire:

There is a trend, or should I say a scam, that has grown up called the mind-body movement – making statements such as

“I think it’s inappropriate to view illnesses as being either physical or psychological.”

Such statements are utterly absurd and false.

There is no placebo response in malaria treatment, no objective improvement in CD4 counts in HIV patients or viral loads in Hepatitis C receiving placebo. You cannot talk people better from these diseases.

Yet both Hep C and HIV patients often suffer from neuropsychiatric consequences of chronic damage to the brain. These are not mental disorders – there is no grey line between the mind and body.

All of the trials on positive thinking and cancer show virtually no benefit, indeed sometimes the most pessimistic people respond better if pessimism is the best way of coping with the stress of the situation.

The sad fact is that the mind/body theory is the only inappropriate thing. The sad fact is that a great many people are misdiagnosed with ME but really have depression, eating disorders and other mental disorders.

The sad fact is that the psychiatrists and CDC have broadened the case definition to deliberately include those patients within the definition of ME.

The sad fact is that ME is a real organic illness that has been made to disappear.

That situation needs reversing.

— Frogsquire