LP-stories

We have currently collected almost 40 stories from ME sufferers who have experienced LP themselves, or describe the experience they had as carers. We hope these stories will bring some nuance to a debate where LP is often portrayed as something very positive.

Note: We are adding stories here as they are translated, so there may be a slight lag before the stories appear here, as compared to the Norwegian section.

Anita Skatvedt

“After I was able to sleep again and cleared my head, I realised that LP had made me much sicker than I had been aware of and I stopped doing the exercises, despite the fact that the therapist thought I should continue.”

Venke Midtlien

“This instruction, together with the message that we could be prosecuted if we shared the course material with anyone, resulted in me keeping my mouth shut about what I knew for many years.”

T. Knutsen

“I don’t have ME, I’ve been doing ME. Of course I can recover, as long as this was self inflicted. On the third day my husband picks me up, and with great conviction I tell him that I have recovered.”

Bjørg Bjørgum

“On the way home I got a bad flu and became very poorly. I mentioned this to the coach during a follow-up conversation. It ended in a reprimande”

“Adam”

“I was invested, with body, future, finances and mind, and there was nothing I wanted more than for this to work.”

Heidi Andresen

“Before we entered a conference room with hard wooden chairs, we had to sign a paper stating that we’d never tell anyone what the method was about. This made me so scared of being sued that I still don’t dare to write it here.”

Mille Maria Nyansarang

“The most worrying aspect about observing my sister after she had been treated with Lightning Process, was how I felt she had been trained to lie.”

Hanne, 59

“I asked a critical question, but was told by the course leader that I would have to leave, if I continued doing that.”

Jill Remel

“Instead of “getting the life you love” – you risk driving yourself into the pit with full force. It’s too big a risk to take.”

Kristin Stølen

“I was the “perfect”, highly motivated participant, but still got much worse in the long run, as a result of the course and the method.”

Martin, 25

“Dr. Wyller recommended for my parents to pay for me taking the Lightning Process, and that this would make me well again.”

Jørn Bjørkli

“As a parent, I unfortunately cannot say I’m proud of having paid 15 000 NOK (roughly $1700), for my son to have been on the course.”

R. B.

“I was told to throw away my wheel chair, my bathrobes, everything from my sick room. I did not even have the energy to object.”

Torbjørg Veland

“I ended up completely brainwashed. After all it was I who “did” ME.”

Brit Fougner

“Are you considering taking the LP course? I understand your despair. That you, like me, will throw yourself at anything that can provide some hope. But don’t do it!”

Anita, 44

“They are our solution, they know the technique, and they will teach it to us. How lucky am I?! We are all excited and eager to start learning the process.” Anita’s story is worth reading.

Siv Karlsen

“Then they tell you that it’s your own fault for having ME, because you’re doing ME. I became physically exhausted and unwell, and felt guilty because you would have to be pretty stupid when you’re making yourself ill.”

Helene Fredheim

“The response was overwhelming. Lightning Process was a common reason for people’s bad experiences. The shame of the situation I had put myself and my son in, evaporated in a few minutes in the group.”

Lisbeth E. Løwer

“The Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) has recommended Lightning Process to me, later on. When I told them what LP had done to me, I heard no more about it. It’s concerning that NAV and other agencies believe LP to be serious. This is detrimental to patients in need of medical treatment.”

Virgun Bidtnes

“We had to sign that we were better. When your body is full of adrenaline, and you have been completely brainwashed, you just sign it. We were completely overrun by the facilitators.”

Trude Wiberg

“After the course I continued at home, and on the phone the instructor said the lack of effect was due to me not doing things right, not working hard enough, and not being motivated enough to get well.”

Irene Qvan

“I filled out a form in order to participate, and gladly confirmed that I would be uncritical of the course content, and that I was motivated. I really was. This was huge, I was going to get well again!”

Anonymous

“We had to sign a paper that we would not do ME.”

Line

“I felt being sick was my fault. It’s all very similar to a scam, really.”

Anonymous woman

“I gradually started to get a different view of LP, and talked to my parents about it. They told me they had never perceived me as recovered,[…]”

Anonymous man, 50

“I let myself be convinced that I had recovered. I called home and said I had recovered. But the next day I woke up in great pain, and realized I had been deceived. I wasn’t well at all.”

Kristine

“I was told by the coach that if I did not get well/better, it was because I wasn’t doing the method correctly, still did ME and did not WANT to get well. It was my fault.”

Anonymous

“It is no wonder “everyone” recovers, when the method involves lying to both oneself and others and claiming that one is completely healthy, even if one is definitely not. I assume the other participants were as exhausted as me after three days with the course, so we signed without much protest.”

Anonymous woman

“The euphoria and revival-feel of the course led to a slight spark of energy, before it ended in a gradual deterioration that I ignored for a very long time. I said “stop”, chose “the life I loved” and did “healthy”, over and over again, with all the bells and whistles.”

Maria Lukas

“The point of the course is to make you believe that you don’t have ME/CFS, but are doing ME/CFS. Thus, it becomes strangely logical to say at the end of the course that “I’m perfectly healthy”, which I did.”

Camilla, 43

“During my last conversation with her, when I was still struggling, I was told: “You just don’t want to get better, do you?”

Monica Reppen

“We had to sign that the process had worked, and to not tell about the method to others. I did not receive a copy of this. I got much worse after the course, and now I am housebound.”

Kjersti Holst

“I thought that if I got well, and it had cost me 15,000 NOK, the money would not matter. To get well again would be a miracle.”

Wenche Abrahamsen

“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.”

Inger Torild Hansbråten Veseth

“I didn’t improve… but I didn’t deteriorate either (because I didn’t completely overrun the signals from my body). I still often crash because I’m not able to pace well enough in my everyday life.”

Elisabeth Heide Grimsrud

“I have gotten much worse after the LP course and felt a lot of shame and guilt for a long time afterwards. LP is advanced brainwashing. I would absolutely not recommend anyone with ME to do the Lightning Process.”

Anonymous

“After approximately 6 months of doing the LP method, I was so ill that I couldn’t take it any more. I had to use a walker to get to the bathroom. I needed help with everything.”

Ingun Narmo

“These people offering LP-courses have covered themselves legally, and will get you if you reveal the scheme. That these people, with such a non-serious scheme, where you are held responsible for you own illness, are allowed to ravage an entire group of sick people, is incredible.”