I asked Chat GPT for a short definition of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. He didn’t have much information and seemed to view it as a controversial diagnosis. The knowledge of ChatGPT-4 only extends up to late 2021. Chat is probably reflecting the views of sources like the National Institute of Health, which still categorizes it as a controversial diagnosis on their website.
The situation infuriates me. For those of us who have suffered from this, we know its distinct and specific nature. It’s a global illness with common patterns among patients. This isn’t a trivial matter—it’s a grave, life-threatening, and debilitating illness. Adding insult to injury is the common experience of disbelief—we’re treated as if we’re imagining our symptoms. To those enduring this illness, I commend you. It’s challenging enough dealing with the disease, let alone navigating a medical community often oblivious or apathetic towards its reality. Tens of thousands of people have it, including my own doctor who got it in 2015.
The MCS diagnosis criteria should include: “Nobody believes that you have it and treats you as if you are crazy”.
So I salute everyone who has endured this illness which is so bad. This condition has been known since the 60s and most medical professionals still don’t seem to not have the slightest clue about what it is, nor do they have any desire to find out. The United States is particularly bad. I think because we are the inventors of so many chemical products, that we do not want to have any negative mentions about them.
ChatGPT doesn’t fully grasp the severity of this illness, including its life-threatening aspects. It tends to portray it as a simple reaction to chemicals. However, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity is a more complex and advanced syndrome, characterized by severe and debilitating reactions to chemicals. While ‘chemical sensitivity’ may cause symptoms like dizziness, nausea, and headaches, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity is a separate, far more serious condition.