James Coyne explains: "The limits of empathy"

[weyland]

Hmmm...James Coyne trolls UK journalists & academics then is trolled by a patient/carer

Jeannette Burmeister didn't troll anybody, least of which James Coyne. He didn't like her approach to advocacy so he attempted to leverage our desperation to try to get everyone to vilify her. That's disgusting behavior alone, not to mention his outbursts afterwards. Yes, we need all the help we can get, but we don't need to endure abuse in order to get it.

 

[Empty]

I am extremely slow to anger. But I am getting there. Fortunately I always seem to experience anger against a backdrop of peace. Good for me.

I find I am annoid at Coynes further twitter excuses today. His hashtag"" #respect yourselves! / Shame on the community for not suppressing tweet. "

Where were we all not standing up for him, he cries. ""We are not blind like 'George' He had no eyes. We do have eye" (rough translation).

Well I was inshock watching him spout his abuse everywhere.

Psychs are high maintenance.

 

[Seanko]

@Empty & @weyland As you say there are lots of vulnerable people in our community. James Coyne should know better, after all as a psychologist he will have dealt with all kinds of people in often desperate circumstances.

The current PACE debate came about because David Tuller & others built on the work of Tom Kindlon and other patients who spent hours looking at the available PACE figurers.

In some ways we depend on healthier people to do some of our advocacy because we cannot get to face to face meetings. However there are remarkable people in our midst with the illness doing great jobs @Cort, Jenny Spotila & Solve ME/CFS in the US, activists in Norway, those involved in the charities in the UK & Australia.

 

[Seven]

Is ok for me not to expect "empathy from family and friends". Doctors? government agencies PAID for it to be their job is a separate issue.

General public is ok not to expect it, I think they are confusing the lack of patience with the government agencis PAID to defend and understand CFS. and the people that are suppose to protect / helps us.

They are 2 and completely different issues in my book. And what I see (and well for them) is the attitude of some people: ok for 30 years ago was ok to be ignorant of what ME/CFS was, but there is a point where there is not excuse anymore, and that moment was YEARS ago. So it is ok if today we hold them to higher standards to at least try to get to it biomedically and dump the Psy crap.

Or how much longer do we have to be passive about this.

 

[Dee VanDine]

Here’s the problem I see with chronic illnesses and the general public’s perception. Name any chronic illness. Let’s take ME/FMS for example. Now list a few of the symptoms and a “normal” person’s perception of said symptoms:

Headaches - “I have headaches a lot. I just deal with them."
Dizziness - “I have that when I stand up too fast. No biggie."
Nausea - “Who hasn’t had nausea? Take a Tums."
Fatigue - “Hahahaha"
Confusion - “I tried to open my garage door with my key fob last week. Who doesn’t get confused?"
Brain fog - “Sometimes before I have my morning coffee I’m in a fog, too."
Widespread pain - “I get sore every day after my workout. What’s the big deal?"

Get it? This is why we are so easily dismissed by people who don’t personally know us. Everyone thinks they’ve had every symptom listed for every chronic illness. The pat themselves on the back for how well they are dealing those symptoms, which to them are minor annoyances, so why can’t we?

The people close to us, who knew us before and have seen our downfall and suffering, have empathy without walking in our shoes because they believe us. I expect nothing less from those claiming to help us - whether that be doctors, researchers, technicians, home care aides, or anyone else who enters our space.

Some very troubling perrsonality disorders are defined by a complete lack of empathy. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?

i appreciate your take. unfortunately, sometimes even those close to us are dismissive. this is quite disturbing.

 

[San Diego]

i appreciate your take. unfortunately, sometimes even those close to us are dismissive. this is quite disturbing.

I’ve had those, also. And yes, they are beyond disturbing. My ME/CFS doc tells me most of those are husbands and that wives tend to be more empathetic and supportive.