In this episode of the Pedantic Zebra Book Club, we’re joined by writer and cultural historian Dr Elinor Cleghorn to discuss her acclaimed book Unwell Women: A Journey Through Medicine and Myth in a Man-Made World. Together we explore the long history of medical misogyny, the cultural myths that shaped women’s healthcare, and the enduring legacy of dismissal, disbelief, and diagnostic inequality. From hysteria and psychosomatic labels to chronic illness and modern medical

It is ME Awareness Day, and the publication of our open letter to the Royal College of Psychiatrists sits within a long and well-documented history of contested approaches to ME within psychiatry and adjacent services.

If we are clear on what psychologisation is, we can recognise it, argue coherently and also question to see if others understand it

We are pleased to welcome Dr Elke Hausmann as a guest writer and friend of Long Covid Advocacy. In this article she delves into the details and controversies of Emily Mendenhall’s new book ‘Invisible Illnesses’ with precision and acuity - providing a much needed analysis for the community.

Exulansis is defined as the tendency to give up trying to talk about an experience because people are unable to relate to it.

It is this communality of the book that elevates it, from practical tips to the message that one is not alone in the struggle.

A Campaign Guide for the Bait and Switch Tactic

This article explores how cognitive therapies contribute to a dangerous medical paradigm for chronic illness. We shall focus on Paul, ‘he’s not the messiah, he’s a very naughty boy’, Garner’s opinion piece for the BMJ and his appearance at the SIRPA conference. We examine the historical, rhetorical, and systemic forces behind mind-body medicine and how they obscure harm through compassion-washing, concept laundering, and misplaced optimism.

They will tell you that it’s progressive, groundbreaking, science pioneering into unventured territory...

It’s one thing to go for help and not find any medical care. It’s another to be blamed for your child’s disability and illness.