Author: Anil van der Zee

I need your help. This cannot go on any longer! On November 30, a protest will take place at the Malieveld in The Hague. This…

Following the NOS coverage of coercion and pressure regarding treatments with CBT/GET and the potential threat of intervention from Veilig Thuis for children with ME,…

I have read the news reports about the opening of long-COVID clinics for children with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I find the stories…

I finally got myself to order a copy of the TV show Spoorloos (Without a Trace 14-05-2001), where I got to meet my mother. It…

This an uncorrected Google translated text from the original Dutch version which you can read here: Boek review “De Achterblijvers” Book review “De Achterblijvers” by…

This a google translated version this response: https://anilvanderzee.com/reactie-trouw-ontzeg-patienten-met-long-covid-niet-bij-voorbaat-de-fysio/ PEM is new!! My response to one piece in Trouw written by pulmonologistsJoost van den Aardweg, Harm…

An interview with #NIETHERSTELD for severe ME day. It was a very special experience for me to be able to speak so extensively about severe…

It’s the first day of M.E. Awareness Month 2023. It’s not only a month to make others aware of this debilitating disease. It also serves…

  This is a Google translated version.  In the Dutch Journal of Medicine (NTvG) is an article published by Huijbregts et al. It is about…

I’ve always feared HIV/AIDS. I’ve always been inspired by ACTUP.

Stunned by the passivity in regards to HIV/AIDS, ME and now LongCovid despite the immense suffering.

Check out my blog about activism, fighting back, love and revolutionizing medicine.

Patients with a disease like ME are by some considered “difficult” patients. Not only because of the fact that they might be hard to treat, but difficult as a person. All kinds of character traits have been assigned to patients that suffer from diseases like ME. Some practitioners almost seem to hate their patients. I’ve always wondered how it got to this point. Are these really the characteristics of patients with a disease like ME? Is this exclusively for a disease like ME? Are there likely ways to improve communication?

We are in a crisis! A pandemic! The coronavirus is spreading. It’s frightening. Will I be infected? My friends? And most importantly how will it affect us? The uncertainty of the unknown is probably the most unsettling of the whole situation. Especially for someone with an underlying health condition.

A wonderfully written guest blog by CNN reporter and ME patient Ryan Prior about his trip to Amsterdam and our brief meeting.

“For years I’d dreamed of backpacking through Europe, of seeing the Eiffel Tower and the Mona Lisa and the Roman Colosseum. This summer at the age of 28 I finally got to achieve that. But in the shadow of the monuments, many of the intimate human moments became far memorable…”

An interview with David Tuller where he talks about:
Patients and advocate like Alem Matthees from Australia.
The largest treatment trial for “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome” – the PACEtrial.
The Dutch “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome” studies.
The British Parliament and the role of Carol Monaghan and…

The questions are often; Why do patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) have such issues with psychological factors with regards to their disease? Especially the aversion towards CBT and GET? Which would be weird because psychological factors play a part in many diseases!? Now is that really the whole story? Do patients with ME really have issues with the fact that psychological factors could play a part in their illness? Do patients really not want any psychological treatments?