Prof. dr. Vivienne Matthies-Boon
@vmatthiesboon.bsky.social
Professor by Special Appointment - Head of Department of Ethics and Political Philosophy, Radboud Uni. Interests: Long Covid, Health Justice, Postviral Ethics, Trauma, Critical Theory,
Some people asked for a transcription of @geschom.bsky.social truly excellent contribution on the problem of Psychologisation.
This was for the German Society for Neurologists (DGN) conference a few days ago. Happy to oblige of course!
English follows German.
#MECFS #LongCovid #PAIS
This was for the German Society for Neurologists (DGN) conference a few days ago. Happy to oblige of course!
English follows German.
#MECFS #LongCovid #PAIS
November 16, 2025 at 5:44 PM
Some people asked for a transcription of @geschom.bsky.social truly excellent contribution on the problem of Psychologisation.
This was for the German Society for Neurologists (DGN) conference a few days ago. Happy to oblige of course!
English follows German.
#MECFS #LongCovid #PAIS
This was for the German Society for Neurologists (DGN) conference a few days ago. Happy to oblige of course!
English follows German.
#MECFS #LongCovid #PAIS
And then Sigga Weland presented her qualitative work on MECFS patients in Denmark, relaying the profound existential impact of not being believed and being psychologised.
September 4, 2025 at 8:19 PM
And then Sigga Weland presented her qualitative work on MECFS patients in Denmark, relaying the profound existential impact of not being believed and being psychologised.
Then Ronja Büchner relayed how their quantative data showed that the experience of psychologisation was no only prominent in Long Covid and Post Vac patients - but also detrimental to their (already fragile) health and decreased their trust in medics.
September 4, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Then Ronja Büchner relayed how their quantative data showed that the experience of psychologisation was no only prominent in Long Covid and Post Vac patients - but also detrimental to their (already fragile) health and decreased their trust in medics.
The second on the historical foundations of this psychologisation by Dr Paula Muhr, where she explained how illnesses regarded as "unexplained" became increasingly psychologised through its relation to hysteria.
September 4, 2025 at 8:19 PM
The second on the historical foundations of this psychologisation by Dr Paula Muhr, where she explained how illnesses regarded as "unexplained" became increasingly psychologised through its relation to hysteria.
I am so happy that pur Panel (in German) on "The Violence of #Psychologisation: #LongCovid and other postviral illnesses" went well. It consisted of 4 presentations, the first by myself on the epistemological problems of the BPS model and the need for a postviral ethics.
September 4, 2025 at 8:19 PM
I am so happy that pur Panel (in German) on "The Violence of #Psychologisation: #LongCovid and other postviral illnesses" went well. It consisted of 4 presentations, the first by myself on the epistemological problems of the BPS model and the need for a postviral ethics.
Hat jemand Erfahrung damit? #MCAS #LongCovid
August 22, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Hat jemand Erfahrung damit? #MCAS #LongCovid
Exteemely pleased to announce that the NWO (Dutch Research Council) has granted my four year research project on:
"Dying a Continuous Death: A Critical Phenomenology of Living Death, Social Death and Suicide Ideation amongst #LongCovid Patients in the Netherlands and Germany"
"Dying a Continuous Death: A Critical Phenomenology of Living Death, Social Death and Suicide Ideation amongst #LongCovid Patients in the Netherlands and Germany"
July 4, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Exteemely pleased to announce that the NWO (Dutch Research Council) has granted my four year research project on:
"Dying a Continuous Death: A Critical Phenomenology of Living Death, Social Death and Suicide Ideation amongst #LongCovid Patients in the Netherlands and Germany"
"Dying a Continuous Death: A Critical Phenomenology of Living Death, Social Death and Suicide Ideation amongst #LongCovid Patients in the Netherlands and Germany"
Extremely pleased with the Golden Series of @rackmask.bsky.social and the Flower masks from @zhouliangmask.bsky.social Will also buy their black edition. They are the best FFP2/FFP3 masks I have experienced so far (tried many!!), and some colourful patterns offer some much needed aesthetic relief.
June 10, 2025 at 8:36 AM
Extremely pleased with the Golden Series of @rackmask.bsky.social and the Flower masks from @zhouliangmask.bsky.social Will also buy their black edition. They are the best FFP2/FFP3 masks I have experienced so far (tried many!!), and some colourful patterns offer some much needed aesthetic relief.
It was thirty years ago that I was last in this place, where I had spent a lot of time with certain people that were and are close to me. I never thought I'd be able to see them again, let alone walk around this place. Truly wonderful time. #Bratislava #LongCovid #MCAS #youth #memories
May 24, 2025 at 9:19 PM
It was thirty years ago that I was last in this place, where I had spent a lot of time with certain people that were and are close to me. I never thought I'd be able to see them again, let alone walk around this place. Truly wonderful time. #Bratislava #LongCovid #MCAS #youth #memories
Ich bin sehr zufrieden. Meine Podiumsdiskussion mit dem Bürgermeister von Kleve verlief gut und unsere Gruppe wird im Juni einen Termin mit ihm haben, um mehr über #LongCovid und #MECFS zu sprechen. Ich bin jetzt völlig fertig ... aber es war gut.
May 10, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Ich bin sehr zufrieden. Meine Podiumsdiskussion mit dem Bürgermeister von Kleve verlief gut und unsere Gruppe wird im Juni einen Termin mit ihm haben, um mehr über #LongCovid und #MECFS zu sprechen. Ich bin jetzt völlig fertig ... aber es war gut.
Dit voelt erg dubbel. Op weg naar de nationale dag van Long Covid in Amersfoort om te spreken over #longcovid. In de trein naar Alkmaar. 8 jaar gewoond. Mijn vorige leven: toen woonden we nog in NL, toen waren we nog gezond. Bizar gevoel. #nationaleLongCoviddag
March 21, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Dit voelt erg dubbel. Op weg naar de nationale dag van Long Covid in Amersfoort om te spreken over #longcovid. In de trein naar Alkmaar. 8 jaar gewoond. Mijn vorige leven: toen woonden we nog in NL, toen waren we nog gezond. Bizar gevoel. #nationaleLongCoviddag
In case people have difficulty accessing the article:
March 11, 2025 at 10:36 PM
In case people have difficulty accessing the article:
Ernst Jurgens urged us to rethink the relation between ecology, justice and health. Postviral chronicity not only shows that there is an increasing interconnection between communicable and non-communicable diseases, but also that our health is inherently tied to planetary health.
February 5, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Ernst Jurgens urged us to rethink the relation between ecology, justice and health. Postviral chronicity not only shows that there is an increasing interconnection between communicable and non-communicable diseases, but also that our health is inherently tied to planetary health.
Then Sandra Bleyenberg from @kinderenlc.bsky.social
(KLC) spoke about her own experience as a mother of two children with Long Covid, the difficulties parents face (in nearly all areas) as well as all the great advocacy work that KLC is doing.
(KLC) spoke about her own experience as a mother of two children with Long Covid, the difficulties parents face (in nearly all areas) as well as all the great advocacy work that KLC is doing.
February 5, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Then Sandra Bleyenberg from @kinderenlc.bsky.social
(KLC) spoke about her own experience as a mother of two children with Long Covid, the difficulties parents face (in nearly all areas) as well as all the great advocacy work that KLC is doing.
(KLC) spoke about her own experience as a mother of two children with Long Covid, the difficulties parents face (in nearly all areas) as well as all the great advocacy work that KLC is doing.
Referring to the work of Amanda Fricker, Charlotte Blease (Uppsala Univ) presented on the epistemic injustice postviral patients face & how history seems to be repeating itself, with bedridden patients being referred to as militant. She also spoke about ableist exclusions in academia and research.
February 5, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Referring to the work of Amanda Fricker, Charlotte Blease (Uppsala Univ) presented on the epistemic injustice postviral patients face & how history seems to be repeating itself, with bedridden patients being referred to as militant. She also spoke about ableist exclusions in academia and research.
Then I read out patients' own experiences of invisibility - including patient narratives of desperate parents, children who are lying in a dark room for years without help ("it feels as if you can die") & people who lost their lives. The harsh reality we should NOT forget!
February 5, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Then I read out patients' own experiences of invisibility - including patient narratives of desperate parents, children who are lying in a dark room for years without help ("it feels as if you can die") & people who lost their lives. The harsh reality we should NOT forget!
After the break, Tamar Sharon (Radboud University)
spoke about our article on how patients in the NL were made invisible through a lack of institutionalised solidarity. When pandemic solidarity started to decline, the government did not support solidarity but resorted to individual responsibility.
spoke about our article on how patients in the NL were made invisible through a lack of institutionalised solidarity. When pandemic solidarity started to decline, the government did not support solidarity but resorted to individual responsibility.
February 5, 2025 at 3:39 PM
After the break, Tamar Sharon (Radboud University)
spoke about our article on how patients in the NL were made invisible through a lack of institutionalised solidarity. When pandemic solidarity started to decline, the government did not support solidarity but resorted to individual responsibility.
spoke about our article on how patients in the NL were made invisible through a lack of institutionalised solidarity. When pandemic solidarity started to decline, the government did not support solidarity but resorted to individual responsibility.
Then, I spoke about the harms of the biopsychosocial model (that arose out of disability benefit cuts!) including patient internalisation of guilt, physical deterioration and even death or suicide. This harm needs to be recognised & raises the urgent philosophical questions below
February 5, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Then, I spoke about the harms of the biopsychosocial model (that arose out of disability benefit cuts!) including patient internalisation of guilt, physical deterioration and even death or suicide. This harm needs to be recognised & raises the urgent philosophical questions below
Keeping patients down is related to gender dynamics. Keeping people in is the othering of those who demand resources/help in a individualised society. Keeping them away entails the idea by certain medics that talking (!) about Long Covid is contagious, that it supposedly increases Long Covid.
February 5, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Keeping patients down is related to gender dynamics. Keeping people in is the othering of those who demand resources/help in a individualised society. Keeping them away entails the idea by certain medics that talking (!) about Long Covid is contagious, that it supposedly increases Long Covid.
Following this, @geschom.bsky.social explained why psychologisation is happening, and explained its similarity to other processes of stigmatisation. Psychologisation serves the purpose of keeping patients down, keeping people in and keeping patients away.
February 5, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Following this, @geschom.bsky.social explained why psychologisation is happening, and explained its similarity to other processes of stigmatisation. Psychologisation serves the purpose of keeping patients down, keeping people in and keeping patients away.
@buechnerronja.bsky.social from the University of Leipzig then used the data of the large survey study she undertook to show the prevalence of the psychologisation of Long Covid patients. Unsurprisingly and unfortunately, the psychologisation of Long Covid patients is extremely prevalent.
February 5, 2025 at 3:39 PM
@buechnerronja.bsky.social from the University of Leipzig then used the data of the large survey study she undertook to show the prevalence of the psychologisation of Long Covid patients. Unsurprisingly and unfortunately, the psychologisation of Long Covid patients is extremely prevalent.
Then we had session on the problem of the psychologisation of Long Covid. Paula Muhr (Univ. of Zürich) explained that FND is associated with Freud and that secondary illness gains - a notion still used in the psychologisation of Long Covid patients - can be traced back to Freud.
February 5, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Then we had session on the problem of the psychologisation of Long Covid. Paula Muhr (Univ. of Zürich) explained that FND is associated with Freud and that secondary illness gains - a notion still used in the psychologisation of Long Covid patients - can be traced back to Freud.
Last Monday, the workshop I organised on #PostviralEthics took place at the Radboud University (Netherlands). Below is a summary of its contents. #LongCovid #MECFS #Lyme #Qfever #HIV
February 5, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Last Monday, the workshop I organised on #PostviralEthics took place at the Radboud University (Netherlands). Below is a summary of its contents. #LongCovid #MECFS #Lyme #Qfever #HIV