Journal for Psychotherapy 2011: CBT and GET are ineffective and potentially harmful for many ME/CFS patients

Tijdschr Psychother. 2011; (37)4: 233-258; Frank N.M. Twisk, Rob J.W. Arnoldus en Michael Maes:


Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)/Graded Exercise Therapy (GET)
is often proclaimed to be
the only evidence-based therapy for
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME)/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).

However, medical research has proven
that the psychosocial explanatory models of Vercoulen and others
– being the justification for CBT/GET –
are invalid, and
that CBT/GET is not only ineffective,
but also potentially harmful for many patients.

Characteristic symptoms,
like pain, cognitive impairment, fatigue and post-exertional malaise,
can plausibly be explained by physical abnormalities,
especially inflammation, oxidative/nitrosative stress,
metabolic dysfunction, cardiovascular disturbances,
gastro-intestinal aberrations and ion channel dysfunction.

The dominance of
the psychosocial explanatory model and CBT/GET
has profound medical, juridical, financial/social and
psycho/emotional consequences for patients.

Based upon these observations
the psychologist/psychotherapist
should question his role as CBT/GET therapist,
also because,
as a result of psychologizing ME/CFS,
any patients are reluctant to seek essential psychological counselling
aimed at coping with the disease.

See also: When CBT fanatico's get ME they run away from silly CBT as fast as possible !!

See also: Metabolic dysfunction causes Post-Exertional malaise in ME/CFS

See also: Jan 2011, Spanish study shows that CBT and GET make things WORSE in ME/CFS !!!

See also: Is ignoring clinical evidence The Way Ahead for the RCGP and Prof Christopher Ward ?

See also: Harvard Medical School: EEG spectral coherence data distinguish chronic fatigue syndrome patients from healthy controls and depressed patients

See also: Cerebrospinal fluid profiles can differentiate between Lyme disease, ME/CFS and healthy controls

See also: Post-exercise acid exposure 50 times higher in ME/CFS patients vs healthy controls, with no reduction with repeat exercise

See also: The putative agent of ME/CFS can be transferred to monkeys