Abandoned, dismissed and gaslighted: there is no excuse for the way ME sufferers have been betrayed | George Monbiot
Changes in guidance and science seem to have little impact on millions of devastated lives. It’s a shocking social crisis playing out behind closed doors I’ve spent my working life covering neglected issues. But few are neglected like the devastating chronic condition ME/CFS (myalgic encephalomyelitis, or chronic fatigue syndrome). In severe cases, the illness shuts down people’s lives almost…
George Monbiot, a Guardian columnist, has shed light on the devastating impact of the chronic condition known as ME/CFS (myalgic encephalomyelitis, or chronic fatigue syndrome). He has expressed shock at how little changes, despite guidance and scientific advancements, affecting millions of lives. This crisis has played out in hidden corners, and few issues are as neglected as ME/CFS.
The condition can shut down people's lives almost entirely, causing extreme fatigue and a wide range of physical and cognitive symptoms that severely limit patients' abilities to work, socialize, and even perform daily activities. The consequences of this neglected illness can be devastating.
To understand what this neglect looks like in practice, Monbiot conducted a survey via Bluesky, a social media platform, asking people with ME/CFS about their recent experiences receiving treatment. The responses were overwhelmingly distressing. One individual reported being "completely abandoned," while another mentioned a "10-year waiting list for treatment." Many expressed their feelings of being "stuck in limbo" and "utterly unheard, invalidated."
These accounts of abandonment, lengthy waitlists, and feeling unheard have been received by Monbiot in their hundreds. The depth of suffering and betrayal faced by those diagnosed with ME/CFS is immense, and there seems to be no viable excuse for how they have been treated.
Written by urgent.news from Guardian Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
