I came across a comment about someone who had written to Action for ME claiming that ME/CFS was not a real condition.
They like to make controversial statements.
They genuinely believe that their opinion (lets be clear it is an opinion, and a misinformed one at that) to be true.
They simply cannot grasp the idea that someone could have this kind of condition, so that they choose to dismiss it.
The question that I am interested in is how do you deal with someone who makes these sorts of comments? For someone who is experiencing this condition, these comments can be hurtful and offensive. I would suggest you consider the following:
How would you respond to someone who told you that your hair is green? Unless it is actually green, you would laugh, or perhaps think they were a bit strange. You hopefully wouldn’t wasted any breath trying to persuade them that your hair wasn’t green because there is no doubt in your mind that your hair isn’t green.
Consider that this is the appropriate response to someone who makes such statements. Trying to convince them that they are wrong is probably going to be a waste of time, so it is better to accept that you have a different point of view, and focus your energy on the task of getting well.
Simon