I became ill in 2007 after several long lasting infections and have been diagnosed according to the Canadian criteria several times, most recently at the ME-ward, Aker. I had a big pressure, and desire, to get back to work. I was desperate for a cure.

I read hallelujah stories about LP in the media and took the course in May 2009. The course itself was good. The course leader was good and motivating, but there were a few things that bothered me.

I was sort of pulled into the grip of boldness which felt good, and thought: I can do this, as long as I do my best. I didn’t like that we had to answer yes or no to whether we were recovered on the last day.

I didn’t feel recovered, but that I was on the right track.

I felt I had to answer yes, otherwise I “didn’t want it enough”. I had a short term improvement, followed by a deterioration.

But the most serious consequence from the course was a huge feeling of failure. Everyone else recovered, except for me, and it was my own fault. This was a huge additional burden, which gave me psychological challenges.

I took a follow up course, and for two years I kept trying to get the process right, until I finally gave up and got a little more peace. I then learned that others from my course, who I though had recovered, also had deteriorated severely and became bedridden for a while after the course.

I didn’t get a copy of the contract we signed. There were questions from participants regarding how they responded to criticism from the Norwegian ME Association. The course leader answered that the ME Association had done enormous damage to CFS/ME-patients. She ridiculed the association and said they focused on sickness – it’s impossible to get well then.

When asked about those who didn’t recover, the answer was that they were very few, and that either they didn’t want to recover or they did the process wrong. So it was their own fault!

I would NOT recommend LP to anyone with ME. It’s potentially very harmful because one is not supposed to pay attention to the signals from one’s body.