Eliza Charley: ME and the cult-like nature of psychologisation 

An important story that needs to be told, thank you for this!

Eliza is a delightful guest. Looking forward to a part II. I'm glad she addressed that she's been through the CBT & psych brainwashing program and how it mirrors cult brainwashing. I can't imagine being this ill and wasting 6 months or more on psychobabble that takes me off course of self-care. Let alone incorporating CBT into the picture. Time and energy asre precious to ME patients. Not to imagine the financial cost. I hope patients being pushed toward these treatments get to hear her speak on this.

A brilliant conversation and so many well made points and observations! Thankyou both!

"A quiet nobility in living a small life.' Thank you, Eliza, this is gold.

Wow what an episode. Eliza’s points about worth really resonated and touched me. This conversation about GET and gaslighting is so important. Thanks so much Eliza and Dan 🩵💙

It’s nice to hear others have felt gaslit too..

"Why would you want to?" Gosh, yes, this!!! The brainwashing and gaslighting and IGNORANCE. Thank you, Eliza and thank you, Daniel. Incredible conversation today.

So validating on so many levels. Thank you!

That familiar denial after a period of remission is so relatable. I mean I did my degree, became a lifeguard and then qualified as a dance teacher but for the third time this thing got me: Glandular fever age 16 = one year recovery then ME diagnosis 1995 age 20 approx- then major relapse age 34. Having the rug pulled under for the third time heartbreaking. Awful systemic abuse we’ve all endured. They owe us A LOT

My favorite episode so far. Eliza is so spot on, this entire conversation really helped me feel more confidence b/c so much of our stories overlap.

That's a very beautiful sentiment about still having worth. Great interview!

This is something I needed! Hearing her talk about not having the vocabulary to explain or even understand ones own symptomes and experiences really hits home. Even this episode helped me expand some of my understanding and vocab about the very topic. I've always known I don't buy into the "change the way you think to get better" sentiment, but learning more about it here has helped me remove little doubts of my own experience and put it more into words. So thank you, Dan and Eliza!

This was so fabulous to hear. Fortunately, CBT and GET were never pushed on me, but brain retraining was. (I never did it.) I've actually used the words "It seems culty" and so it was great to hear those words from someone else too. What I noticed that seemed suspicious is that people who had gone through brain retraining all said almost exactly the same thing about it, "Oh it's fabulous! I am so much better!" I never heard a pragmatic assessment of it by a participant - always this very unilateral effusiveness that was weird. I also understood psychology enough to recognize brain retraining for what it is - brainwashing and gaslighting oneself. I do believe in a mind-body connection, so I've never come to a comfortable resolution to that dichotomy, but I just always knew that I didn't want to do that to myself, to create all that self-doubt and to blame myself when something didn't work. My body is just broken. My thoughts and beliefs have actually been rock stars through the last 11 years - keeping me sane in a situation that is often intolerable. There's also that stereotype that you put so articulately - "the hypervigilant, anxious woman" - that is dangerous. It's the latest version of the hysterical women and folks are eating it up. That is not me. I have no judgement of anyone who wrestles with those difficult issues, but I have always known that was not me. It has made it impossible for me to get talk therapy, because immediately it is assumed that is my problem and I just cannot convince my therapist otherwise and it is painful to need talk therapy and have miss after miss after miss because the therapist never takes time to get to know who I am before deciding what treatment they think I need. The only treatment I need is someone to listen, but I guess that no longer fits into our CBT world. It was great to hear someone say these things out loud. Thank you.

Thanks Dan and Eliza! Brilliant and deeply important conversation. 💜💜💜

I think we all thought we were the only one. Wow so insightful to hear this view point and yes of course taught to gaslight ourselves it’s so blatant and sinister isn’t it! Thank you both for another brilliant podcast video with such amazing clarity and relatable content for so many of us. F ing ell finally TV I can relate to where I’m seen!!

I'm very excited to listen to this when I have the capacity! 🙏🏻 (Commenting right away for the algorithm.)