A Campaign Guide for the Bait and Switch Tactic

Whilst brain re-training programs are more universally recognised as being problematic in Long Covid and ME, these other psychological approaches often fly under the radar. It is important that we recognise them for what they are: medical gaslighting.

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.