‘Voices from the Shadows’ shows the brave and sometimes heartrending stories of five ME patients and their carers, along with input from Dr Nigel Speight, Prof Leonard Jason and Prof Malcolm Hooper. These were filmed and edited between 2009 and 2011, by the brother and mother of an ME patient in the UK. It shows the devastating consequences that occur when patients are disbelieved and the illness is misunderstood. Severe and lasting relapse occurs when patients are given inappropriate psychological or behavioural management: management that ignores the severe amplification of symptoms that can be caused by increased physical or mental activity or exposure to stimuli, and by further infections. A belief in behavioural and psychological causes, particularly when ME becomes very severe and chronic, following mismanagement, is still taught to medical students and healthcare professionals in the UK. As a consequence, situations similar to those shown in the film continue to occur.
Director
Natalie Boulton
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I went to medical school for 4 years. Then moved to Hollywood to become an actress in motion pics. I was an intelligent, very active, athletic, very ambitious and driven person. At age 30, I was cut down in the prime of my life by this horrible disease. A sudden onset of flu like symptoms, but I knew I would never be the same again. Have every classic symptom in the book. Here I am, 25 + years later and much worse overall. Still no cure, no research, no hope, no change, basically being considered a malingerer by most doctors, friends and family. There will be hell to pay, literally, by all the people responsible in governments, medical professions, researchers, insurances, bureaucrats and the likes. J'accuse! This disease robs us of our dignity, our life, our intelligence. But you arrogant, ignorant and uncaring people will not escape judgement. You will stand before the ultimate judge and you will be held accountable by God for your inhumanity!
@TresHauteDiva 12
What a horrible illness, can only think how fortunate I am to only be mildly suffering... Still cannot believe how much it continues to be ignored by some medical professionals
@MatthewKidd 3
Have Just bought the DVD, I suffer moderately but seeing this makes me realise how lucky I am not to be more severely affected. So sad :-(
@hayleyg22 4
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