The extraordinary abuse of Carole Myers/Carol Felstead

[jamma111]

I saw this as a six-page spread in The Observer magazine last Sunday. I had seen the same subject addressed in Private Eye on the 25th November with a full-page article. You don't see many cases of real investigative reporting these days, so it stands out.

It is an amazing and scary story of a woman systematically abused by the British mental health industry, with the added mystery of what killed her in mid-2005, just at the point she was apparently climbing-out of her nightmare under her own steam.

Her family and MP and others are doggedly pursuing the case. Psychotherapist Valerie Sinason's amazing loony rant is to be treasured, and Dr. Fleur Fisher - incredibly a former Head of Ethics at the BMA (British Medical Association) goes doolally on the phone.

To think such things could occur to British women in the 21st century?

The mystery of Carole Myers - by Will Storr - from The Guardian website

I understand the BBC are despterately trying to avoid reporting the scandal, not least because of their links with Valerie Sinason and her peers. The problem is it is getting well-covered in any case and has reached 'critical mass' in the media. With Sinason a great source of nut-job quotes, every journalist-and-their-partner will be homing-in on her.

I saw this as a six-page spread in The Observer magazine last Sunday. I had seen the same subject addressed in Private Eye on the 25th November with a full-page article. You don't see many cases of real investigative reporting these days, so it stands out.

It is an amazing and scary story of a woman systematically abused by the British mental health industry, with the added mystery of what killed her in mid-2005, just at the point she was apparently climbing-out of her nightmare under her own steam.

Her family and MP and others are doggedly pursuing the case. Psychotherapist Valerie Sinason's amazing loony rant is to be treasured, and Dr. Fleur Fisher - incredibly a former Head of Ethics at the BMA (British Medical Association) goes doolally on the phone.

To think such things could occur to British women in the 21st century?

The mystery of Carole Myers - by Will Storr - from The Guardian website

I understand the BBC are despterately trying to avoid reporting the scandal, not least because of their links with Valerie Sinason and her peers. The problem is it is getting well-covered in any case and has reached 'critical mass' in the media. With Sinason a great source of nut-job quotes, every journalist-and-their-partner will be homing-in on her.

The whole thing is concerning in the extreme. Also how the therapist ended up acting as 'next of kin' and excluding the family....I don't know how that can be even legal.

I read that, absolutely insane, those health professionals should be totally discredited. The 'next of kin' thing was really disturbing, and Sinason is a bona fide loon, I have never in my life heard such utter bollocks!
It actually reminded me of an girl I knew who was sadly delusional (sectioned with paranoid delusions) and recreated lots of false memories about abuse after visiting dodgy therapists. She also went to psychics and believed everything they told her, and paid some insane hippy £500 to clear the negative energy in her flat using burning sage or something.
I'm not trying to joke about this, really, just to illustrate how appalling it can be when vulnerable people get hoodwinked by charlatans.

I read this, found it very disturbing, especially as my sister has a lot of mental health issues.

One thing I really couldn't comprehend was one of the therapists having been head of ethics (I think that was it, read it yesterday) for the BMA, how could such things be allowed to happen?!

Dr Fisher lives in Plymouth, and is a former head of ethics at the British Medical Association.

That is just astonishing.

Thats it Holly, thanks. I know. It just beggars belief.

Thanks, I read about this in Private Eye a few weeks ago and forgot to look at the website.

Thanks for posting this. It is hard to believe that this kind of thing goes on anymore, thank god it is getting publicity (i'm surprised there are any journos left with time or inclination to do proper investigative journalism these days! I thought modern news was all about stalking celebs).

The press have recently picked up on this story. Amanda Cable wrote an article for the Daily Mail (February 10, 2014), 'The women brainwashed by therapists to believe their families abused them.' It is compelling reading. There is an on line version.

Carol's brother has written a book (Justice for Carol), available on Amazon books. It has received a number of favourable reviews.

They have opened a new inquest into her death this week

*Dr Fisher lives in Plymouth, and is a former head of ethics at the British Medical Association.

That is just astonishing*

The quotes from her made it difficult to believe she was even a real doctor.

I don't think it's terribly difficult to implant a false memory, whether it's self- implanted or by a 3rd party. I was utterly sure until quite recently I had seen Cathy Come Home when it was first broadcast but when I checked when that was it would have been completely impossible. Thinking about it a bit more I realised I've never actually seen the whole of it, just clips. Sorry I'm not trying to trivialise this case, just an example of how it might happen.

There has been further publicity on this case. See, for example, Antonia Hoyle's piece in the female section of the Daily Mail on Thursday 12 October 2017. The BBC have also recently produced a short facebook video. I understand that the family have applied for a 3rd Inquest. This extraordinary story doesn't appear to be going away.

*Dr Fisher lives in Plymouth, and is a former head of ethics at the British Medical Association.That is just astonishing

Sadly it is not astonishing to anyone with experience of the self-regard and arrogance of many ethicists (though there are certainly honourable exceptions).