Epsistemic Denial of Illness as a Negative Feedback loop: The case of ME

[This page is a draft, not a finished article]

Primary Negative Feedback loop

Lack of Funding ->

Only 3% the research funding of comparable illnesses.

Lack of Research ->

Lack of quality evidence ->

Biomarkers, treatments etc.

Lack of institutional and official recognition ->

Exacerbating Factors

Lack of Visibility

• Institutional Neglect causes Suicides
• Many deaths and such in undiagnosed people not attributed to the disease. -> Statistics make disease look less bad then it is due to lack of visibility
• People affected can’t even get out their beds. We are “millions missing” no one sees our struggle.
• Our disability is seldom recognised. We aren’t legally disabled, we are “illegally disabled”.

Lack Funding

• Most are denied disability benefits due to lack of institutional recognition which makes funding research privately a hard endeavour.

How can we break the loop?

• Strong political will?