From Paralysis to Fatigue: A History of Psychosomatic Illness in the Modern Era Paperback – 7 Jun. 1993

I bought 3 of his books after he was referenced in the literature about Psycho physiological disorders, the work on which follows that of the late great Dr John Sarno. As a doctor I am fascinated by medical history which I find always puts us into a historical context and shows up the delusions every generation has followed in the past. Who would believe what we used to do to people with "hysteria" 100 years ago?! The author is so well referenced as to give someone a crash course in psychiatry and brings us up to date with the profession's current confusions in comparison to the previous ones and shows how little we have learnt about suffering. I found him sensitive, compassionate and well educated and able to make sound and balanced judgements on some of the most difficult and important issues in medical practice.

Would not waste a penny on this writer and I would give this author zero stars if possible. And here's why....This month Shorter wrote a smear piece entitled "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is Back!" for Psychology Today. His vitriolic essay demonstrated a lack of knowledge regarding the content of the IOMs report--that is, the Committee's review of nearly 10,000 research findings--, and his lack of knowledge regarding the politics-- that is, the public effort of patients to shut down the IOM process, which was opposite of his portrayal. It appears that the sole purpose of his incredibly offensive piece was to promote this book.While he holds himself out to be a historian, he appears instead to be suffering from an undisclosed disorder: Megalomania. Either that or he is projecting a great deal of self hatred.Whatever the case, it has been bias like his that has led to untold suffering. From patients being abandoned by family and friends, to doctors telling patients their very real physiological illness was in their heads (while ignoring the emerging research), to the lack of funding for research.Perhaps Shorter could exam the role of false psychological beliefs by "professionals" like himself in creating devastation in the lives of seriously ill patients.

Byron Hyde (author of Missed Diagnoses): So how many patients have you examined?Ed Shorter: None I'm a historianI rest my case as to the validity of Shorter's argument, especially given that work into the autonomic nervous system is starting to uncover why patients with complaints such as ME are both "paralysed" AND fatigued (Abnormalities in pH handling by peripheral muscle and potential regulation by the autonomic nervous system in chronic fatigue syndromeD. E. J. Jones1, K. G. Hollingsworth2, R. Taylor2, A. M. Blamire2, J. L. Newton1,3)There simply isn't the movement that the title suggests.The problem really is Shorter's approach is simply not scientific. Shorter to quote one leading expert on ME is a "nobody".

Very short review: Fantastic book on psychosomatic symptoms and illneses. In Germany (and only in Germany), psychosomatic medicine is a subspeciality of medicine, like psychiatry or orthopedics. I want to undergo residency in psychosomatic medicine, so I bought this book to learn about the history of psychosmatic deseases.Esdward Shorter has written some wonderful books, for exampe "The History of Psychiatry" and he has never disappointed me. This book, once again, proves that Edward Shorter is a fantastic author and researcher. If you are interested in this topic, this book is for you!

Edward Shorter provides a much need perspective on the current crop of psychosomatic symptoms that are being treated today as if they are based on structural anomalies in the knee, shoulder, lower back etc. etc. Shorter shows how these same kind of symptoms occurred in the late 18th century and the 19th too because of the proliferation of fanciful medical theories, like spinal irritation and reflex neurosis, that allowed patients to come up with symptoms that matched contemporary medical theories that were, in many cases, pure quackery and fanciful speculation with high sounding academic names. The question the reader begins to ask after reading Shorter is whether such modern diagnoses as spinal degeneration to account for back pain are really much more clinically scientific than the theories about the origins of back pain proposed by the medical establishment in the 1830s.A very insightful work of medical theory that forces the reader to ask the disturbing question: Just how far has clinical medicine advanced since the early Victorians? Disturbing when you begin to notice how so many of these aches and pains are confined to a specific middle-class milieu where patients have sufficient funds and leisure time to be treated for symptoms of diseases without germs.

Too bad this isn't required reading for all doctors!! Hardly anybody believes this stuff - but it goes on all around us resulting in millions of people hooked on pain pills or getting needless operations.

A rational, unemotional examination of the subject.