What Do NICE and WHO say about ME?

Well, well, well. As I mentioned in a recent blog, the guidelines and classifications for ME have been controversial to say the least.
In the last twenty years (I do not have the resources to define exactly when!) there were rumours afoot that the WHO (World Health Organisation) was to classify ME as a psychological disorder. By using various words and phrases to describe the "disease" rather than simply Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and/or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome it appeared to be in both the Nervous Disease and Psychological Disease classifications simultaneously. This confused charities, media, and patients worldwide not to mention stirred the idea that ME was "all in your head". The title "yuppie flu" was rife at this time too so the reclassification suggestions didn't help matters at all. Post-viral fatigue, Malaise, Encephalopathy, are all classified somewhere and under different headings.
The most difficult time for UK sufferers was when the UK version of the WHO Guide to mental health in primary care was published, with editing to follow UK Psychiatry classification, suggesting that ME was in fact a mental disorder.
As far as NICE (National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence) goes, the UK continues to slowly improve the guidelines. However, Graded Exercise Therapy is still suggested for mild to moderate sufferers. GET suggests strict exercise programmes everyday, which does not take note that if a rest day is needed, exercise is likely to set the patient backwards, rather than forwards on the recovery path. The slightest thing can cause the need for a rest day, from a cold or hay-fever, to family or financial worries. There was a debate in Westminster in February of last year, to iron out the wrinkles so as I say it has improved from the previous guidelines but could be improved further. It would also be good to see more NHS specialist clinics working with proven methods of treatment. Most of the clinics which currently give the best results are funded by private health options and the methods have researched and trialled by charitable giving and lone soldiers out to prove that recovery can be found for the most difficult of cases.