FALSE MCS "DIAGNOSIS" LEADS TO DESPAIR, DEATH

Mark Thorson · medicine forum addict Joined: 16 May 2005 Posts: 80

Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 1996 Aug;24(1 Pt 2):S96-110
Clinical consequences of the EI/MCS "diagnosis": two paths.
Staudenmayer H.
Allergy Respiratory Institute of Colorado, Denver, USA.

There are two distinct paths down which patients
"diagnosed" with environmental illness/multiple
chemical sensitivities (EI/MCS) can travel. Along
the first path, beliefs about low-level, multiple
chemical sensitivities as the cause of physical
and psychological symptoms are instilled and
reinforced by a host of factors including toxicogenic
speculation, iatrogenic influence mediated by
unsubstantiated diagnostic and treatment practices,
patient support/advocacy networks, and
social contagion. Intrapsychic factors also reinforce
this path through the motivational mechanism
of factitious malingering, or unconscious
primary and secondary gain, mediated through
psychological defenses, particularly projection
of cause of illness onto the physical environment.
The second path involves restructuring distorted
beliefs about chemical sensitivities. Explanations
of the placebo effect, the physiology of the stress
response, and the symptoms of anxiety and
panic facilitate the direction of EI/MCS patients
onto this path. A decision model is presented to
discriminate among toxicogenic and psychogenic
explanations of the EI/MCS phenomenon,
based on appraisal of reaction and physiologic
and cognitive responses during provocation
chamber challenges under double-blind, placebo-
controlled conditions. These studies have been
helpful therapeutically for some patients in selecting
the path that leads to wellness. This paper
suggests how various therapeutic techniques
can be employed with difficult patients. Often,
supportive psychotherapy establishes a therapeutic
alliance which facilitates cognitive therapy to
restructure distorted beliefs. In the process of
finding alternative explanations to chemical
sensitivities, the etiology of symptoms is related
to stressful life events, including childhood
experiences which may have disrupted normal
personality development and coping capacity.
Furthermore, biological and physiological sequelae
stemming from early, chronic trauma have
been identified which could explain many of
the multisystem complaints. The incidence of
childhood abuse reported by EI/MCS patients
is strikingly high, and it is recollection of trauma
that many EI/MCS patients avoid by displacing
the psychologic and physiologic adults sequelae
onto the physical environment. The reenactment
of these experiences may be necessary in the
therapy of some affected individuals. Despite
the significant therapeutic effort expanded, some
patients who are imprisoned by a closed belief
system about the harmful effects of chemical
sensitivities are resigned to travel down the path
which ultimately leads to despair and depression,
social isolation, and even death.

PeterB · medicine forum Guru Joined: 28 Apr 2005 Posts: 384

Mark Thorson wrote:

<nothing of value, as usual>

You do realize that using ALL CAPS to prove you're an idiot is
completely redundant?

\"Jan Drew\" · medicine forum Guru Joined: 02 Mar 2006 Posts: 353

"PeterB" <pkm@mytrashmail.com> wrote in message
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PeterB · medicine forum Guru Joined: 28 Apr 2005 Posts: 384

Jan Drew wrote:

Google