Radical TreatmentsThere have been claims of success, from therapists and M.E sufferers alike, for a number of treatments that have attracted attention in recent years.
These include Reverse Therapy, Mickel Therapy, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) and the Lightning Process.
We shall devote a separate section to each of these and we shall be pleased to hear if you have any new treatments to add and we would like to hear experiences of these from therapists or patients at
You may also like to read, or contribute to, our FORUM topics here.
Meanwhile, you may wish to read about our proposals for our evidence-gathering project 'Radical Treatments project' in the Research section here.
A very useful guide to all of these therapies was published in the Reading Area ME Support Group Newsletter - December 2005. Special thanks to Lois for the research and to members Lyn and Sarah for taking part and reporting back.
I thought it might be a good idea to look at a different therapy or treatment in each newsletter, featuring members' views and experiences of them, and any good articles or research.
I decided to start by looking at reverse therapy (RT), as one of a number of psychological therapies appearing that are based on the theory that some illnesses (including ME) are caused by a change in the mammalian brain. This is the older part of the brain that we share with animals, the instinctive part, which governs the functioning of our bodies without our conscious control. It includes the hypothalamus and the amygdala, and is known as the limbic system. The problem with this part of the brain is that it is a `creature of habit', and can become `stuck in the past', re-running its response to a dangerous situation long after the danger is over. It acts almost in defiance of the newer, thinking part of the brain (the frontal lobes), which knows the danger is over and wants the body to stop producing its danger signals but finds it impossible to get the message through to the `old brain'.
All the therapies involve making a change in attitude, thoughts or behaviour, as a result of which symptoms are said to disappear.
Often the recovery is claimed to be very rapid: it is as though a switch has got stuck in the brain which, once switched back, causes an immediate chain of readjustments which return the body to a normal state. (The `Lightning Process' even claims cures within a couple of hours, while RT suggests a more modest 2-8 sessions.)
Therapies differ as to which part of the limbic system they focus on - some blame the amygdala, RT the hypothalamus, and others don't specify – but this is probably purely notional, as there are few mental events that we can attach to specific parts of the brain. All, however, say that the result of the `switch' being in the wrong position is the constant creation of adrenalin which, only being designed for use in short bursts, causes fatigue and other symptoms when present in the body for longer. (This goes back to Hans Selye's work on stress, and will also be familiar to anyone who has read Claire Weekes' classic books on nervous exhaustion).
This is what RT (from the RT and beatcfs websites) says about the hypothalamus and ME: The hypothalamus directs the relationship between the body and the outside world; it takes in information about the external environment, as well as from the person's thoughts and emotions and sets up the body to deal with the world as it understands it on the basis of this information. In ME the hypothalamus believes the person to be under constant threat; it sends symptoms as `messages' to alert the person to danger and continues to send them until it is satisfied they have dealt with the threat. So RT aims to find out what it is that the hypothalamus believes needs to be resolved (ie an unhealthy situation in the present, or unresolved emotions from the past), and to find a way of letting it know the problem has been dealt with so it can switch off the alarms.
Reverse therapy was created in 2003 by Drs Eaton (a psychologist) and Mickel (former GP) from a background in psychological techniques such as hypnotherapy, Neuro Linguistic Programming, PsychoNeuroImmunology and body focusing. A year later, the two split up (amusingly, both claim to have invented the technique) and each now teaches their own version, though how they differ is unclear. Mickel is inventing new concepts (`energy matrices' and `blueprints') to deal with subgroups who don't respond as well, while Eaton, as a writer, is better at communicating the ideas.
Dr. Alastair Reece explained the theory in his talk to the group, which Phil has written up:
Talk on Mickel Reverse Therapy, given by Alastair Reece, 21 September.
Dr Reece has worked as a GP and has explored hypnotherapy and nutrition for M.E. prior to working with Reverse therapy. He has also worked in a pain clinic.
He talked about the function of the Hypothalamus, which is to maintain balance in the body and to deal with emergencies. In normal circumstances it deals with routine tasks such as the digestive system, sleep, immune response and the endocrine system (hormones).
In abnormal circumstances it tries to get us out of trouble by pushing blood sugar, blood pressure and blood cholesterol up as well as tensioning muscles ready for action. This is so we can run away or fight. The Hypothalamus in humans is basically the same as in animals and has not evolved any further in us. It reacts to thoughts of the past and future as if they were the present and has no on/off button. If the fight or flight reflex is triggered then the body stays in a state of alert for the next two hours whether the danger is real and present or just remembered. The hypothalamus receives information from all over the body to enable it to carry out its house keeping tasks but it also receives input from thoughts and emotions, which greatly influence its functions.
Dr Reece described the personality of the typical M.E. patient as being very strong minded and determined and likely to overrule rather than resolve symptoms and emotions in order to achieve their goals.
He described M.E. as the result of constant stimulation of the hypothalamus by unconscious thoughts and emotions, which eventually results in a loss of balance in the body, giving rise to chronic illness. This stimulation is not a conscious process. It is brought about by deep unresolved conflicts. Even if the situation has changed the hypothalamus will still respond to thoughts about the original situation as if it were happening in the present. A reverse therapist works on a one to one basis to discover and resolve these conflicts. The therapist will look at the environment the patient was in and what was happening in their lives when the earliest symptoms appeared and examine attitudes and emotions at that time. New behaviour and thinking is then learnt so that theconflicts can be resolved. The hypothalamus is then no longer stimulated by unconscious thoughts and can return to its housekeeping functions. Balance is restored in the body and health returns.
The cost is £80 for each of the initial four sessions. The cost then drops to £65. Between 3 and 8 sessions are generally needed. We were told that so far only 180 people have obtained a cure using reverse therapy. We were not given any information on the failure rate. Dr Mickel is planning to do clinical trials and if these prove successful then he is hoping to obtain funding from the NHS.
By Phil Barton with contributions from Pat Hodges.
The theory does seem to fit with my own experience of ME - the system on overdrive, and a link (if only short-term) between thoughts/emotions and physical states. Phil also writes: "I tried an experiment in watching my own thoughts. I was out shopping and became very fatigued and ill feeling and had to rest. I rewound my thoughts and found I had been daydreaming about the possibility of returning to work just before I began to feel ill. (He had earlier used pressure at work as an example of a threat the hypothalamus might be responding to) . This doesn't prove reverse therapy is the solution to all our problems but from my point of view it makes me wonder if perhaps there may be something in it."
One could say that getting tired while shopping is not unusual with ME but others may nevertheless share the feeling that `there may be something in it'. So let's suppose that the theory IS correct: then how does RT go about breaking this pattern of emotions: symptoms – or turning off the `switch'?
RT claims to be quite different to other psychological treatments such as CBT and it certainly claims vastly higher success rates. But it's not easy to pin down just what the therapy consists of and what distinguishes it from others. Eaton's website (see below) describes a 3-step process:
1: To look at a) what was happening in the client's life when symptoms first appeared, and b) more recent times when they're triggered.
2: To learn to `tune in' to what `bodymind' is communicating via these symptoms (`bodymind' I take to be a conceptualisation of the limbic system) and so discover the symptom `message'.
3: To take whatever action is called for by this message.
Comment: Step 1a), unless hypnosis is used, relies on memory - tricky with ME brain. For 1b), a detailed journal is kept to track symptoms and the thoughts/ emotions that appear to trigger them – quite a demanding activity (they do admit RT can be hard work). But a greater difficulty with this step is connecting thoughts/emotions with an onset of symptoms, particularly if `symptoms' are present all the time. Therapists seem insistent that every setback originates in an emotional reaction, but it isn't always possible to find this connection - see `Adam's blog' for example (details below).
Step 2 derives at least in part from a technique called `focusing,' invented by American psychotherapist Eugene Gendlin, which involves developing an awareness of emotional states as a `felt sense', almost a physical rather than an analytical understanding. However, this doesn't seem to be taught in much depth, though it probably depends on the therapist (training for therapists is quite brief) – and probably some people will `get it' anyway, while others may not be able to. And as with step 1, some people have difficulty discovering what the `message' is, and knowing what action their `bodymind' wants them to take.
Step 3 – how to convince bodymind you've listened to its warning – may involve reading a card on which your particular `message' is written, or saying the message out loud, to remind your conscious and unconscious mind of what `bodymind' wants it to know (surely derived from NLP, also similar to the New Age `affirmation'); and then to take some action. Examples of these actions appear similar to what other psychological and New Age approaches advocate; for example, `Little Miss B's blog' (details below) talks a lot about being assertive, not suppressing her own desires in order to please others – Alastair gave similar examples (learning to say `no') too. Another commonly suggested action (and therapists do appear to make suggestions if the client is stumped) is, rather than resting when tired, to do something different (that you enjoy)– eg something physical if you were doing something mental, etc. The idea of alternating types of activity to reduce fatigue is known in ME literature as `switching', and makes sense (one therapist advises `balance, variety, enjoyment' which sounds good) – but not resting when tired is more controversial, as is suggesting that you try doing something you want to do but have avoided because it's exhausted you in the past. The idea (as with CBT) is to break patterns but it also implies that it's the tension and anxiety about exhausting yourself that makes an activity tiring –so-called `illness behaviour' (again, a popular idea in CBT – though CBT isn't claimed to cure ME). Obviously, tension will make any activity more exhausting, but is this the whole story?
If I seem too critical, I would like to say that I think anything that gets people to re-examine their lives is a good thing – but the basic idea of dealing with psychological issues and changing your attitude in order to overcome illness, is certainly not new (the ancient healing traditions - traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda etc - which see a person as a physical, mental and spiritual whole, were really there first). Louise Hay is a classic New Age example (and very irritating too); many Christian movements have their own version; and all have their own stories of amazing cures (ME being a popular target for such approaches). RT, and the other therapies aimed at `turning off the switch', may differ from the above in that they suggest a physical mechanism whereby mind and body interact, so they can say that ME is a physical, not a psychological illness - but this could even just be as a sop for ME sufferers, who prefer to see their illness as physical.
In RT, the original cause – ie ignoring the messages of bodymind - IS psychological, even if the effects are physical.
But what matters is, of course, does it work? So as far as one can tell (and there is something of an air of mystery about what goes on in RT), it doesn't seem to be anything really new or different, but it does put those pieces together in a way that has transformed the lives of some people. As yet, no proper trials have been done – though the Association of Young people with ME (AYME) is conducting an informal `observation' of a dozen of their members who are having RT, which shows promising results, with all articipants increasing their activity by average 29% for RT (Eaton's version) and 43% for Mickel Therapy. Eaton and Mickel themselves make huge claims for their results (Mickel claims an 89% `success rate', Eaton 83%), but people who don't recover are deemed not to have completed treatment, and there is no information on how long the successes were followed up for.
This lack of transparency doesn't inspire confidence, but it is nevertheless difficult to dismiss the many stories of recovery, whether partial or complete. In the end, it comes down to a gamble, based on the following factors:
1. Is the hypothalamus theory correct (and does it apply with all cases, or only a subgroup)
2. Can RT hit the right spot to turn off the switch and
3. if 1 and 2 are right, is this the whole story of ME?
The therapists talk up their results as if everyone will get well but surely in that circumstance they could afford to offer a money-back guarantee if you are not cured – if you buy something from a shop and it doesn't work then you'll get your money back. But they do not "put their money where their mouth is", and the ME sufferer – with no guarantee of future income – is forced to bet what little they have in case they are within a subgroup that is cured or helped.
Two members of the group have taken that bet and these are their experiences:
Mickel Therapy - Lyn
I first heard about Reverse Therapy at the end of 2004 and was quite sceptical. I then spoke to Sarah Morgan (a member of our group) who at that time was seeing John Eaton.
I decided to call John Eaton in January 2005 to find out a bit more about the therapy and maybe to make an appointment to see him.
After having spoken to him however, I felt that he was not the right person for me to see so I just forgot all about it really.
Sarah then called me a month later to say that she was now seeing Dr Alastair Reece who had trained in Mickel Therapy. (Dr. Mickel started Mickel therapy after he had a parting of the ways with John Eaton who had trained him in Reverse Therapy) Quite complicated … but there are now two therapies quite similar although I think Mickel supports the gentler approach. Anyway I went to see Alastair Reece in March of this year and have been 9 times since. At first I was going twice a month but that has now dwindled to once every 6 – 8 weeks and I now only go if I feel I need to. I have found the therapy very helpful as I have learnt what I was doing to exacerbate my symptoms … i.e getting wound up about things before they happen and going over and over things in my mind.
Apparently your body is much more capable of over doing things than over thinking them and being in `flight or fight' mode constantly is bad for the body and in the end the body gives out symptoms to say its had enough ( I know I have over simplified it here … )
For more info read John Eaton's book `The Reverse Therapy Approach' which is easy to read and understand. David Mickel's book `The Long Awaited Cure' , I found more complicated and difficult to understand.
In a nutshell I have definitely found the therapy helpful (I have never had any kind of therapy before so this was all new to me) and have made steady improvement although I still have bad patches and I would not say it is a cure. The fact that Alastair was previously a GP gave me more confidence and it was really comforting to see someone that actually understood the illness. One of the things that was really bugging me was that after doing any exercise however small I was completely wrecked. So much so that I used to worry all the time I was doing anything that it would make me worse. I have now found that I am able to do small walks and swims and be quite relaxed whilst doing them and seem to be OK afterwards.
The cost I know is an issue but after the first four sessions the amount goes down to £65 per hour although I was often there for nearly an hour and a half with no extra charge.
For more info call Alastair Reece on 01753 663480 or you can call me on 0118 9452535.
Reverse Therapy - Sarah Morgan
I have read Lyn's comments on reverse therapy and my experiences were similar.
I started the therapy in summer 2004 as I had been off work since October 2003 and was beginning to feel I would not be able to return to work. I started seeing John Eaton and then transferred to Alistair Reece around the autumn of 2004.
My main symptoms have always been tiredness/exhaustion and a lot of muscle pain. We mainly concentrated on how I dealt with negative or difficult emotions.
These were every day kind of emotions rather than big issues. I have made progress and have been back at work since August 2004. However, there have been situations were the therapy hasn't helped. Overall I feel the therapy has helped me look at how I react to situations. I do not regret trying this therapy, although I am not cured and still get some symptoms.
Resources:
Books (both in the ME group library): John Eaton, `ME, CFS and FM – The Reverse Therapy Approach' (recommended reading) David Mickel, `CFS, ME and FM – The Long Awaited Cure' (not so well written) Websites
Phone: Reverse Therapy UK (Eaton): 01488 608505 Mickel Therapy: 01343 831013
A tape of Alastair's talk is in the library.
There was an article about RT in June's Interaction (Action fro M.E.) and letters in the following issue.
Thanks to Sarah and Lyn for submitting to intensive questioning. Opinions stated are my own. Lois.
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