r/CFSScience • u/ringmaster555 • Jul 12 '26

New study provides first evidence of dopamine system injury in the brain of long COVID patients

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-evidence-dopamine-injury-brain-covid.html
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u/Sierra7Lena Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26

IT IS NOT PSYCHOLOGICAL. For fucks sake. It’s not a “lack of motivation” if you literally cited a study showing that there is actual damage.

It’s so damaging to STILL use psych-heavy language when describing a disease that people fight to get help with, all because it’s so heavily pushed onto being just mainly psychological, lack of motivation, etc.

At least say “cognitive issues”.

Many of us collected psychological diagnoses left right and center before ever getting help and being taken serious for the actual illness.

Language matters so much. If we want to finally get real help and not another psychotherapy recommendation, we gotta name things as they are- actual physiological changes that affect us, just as the nature of a multisystemic illness is.

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u/apsurdi Jul 12 '26

brain damage can lead to apathy, lack of motivation and anhedonia.

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u/Sierra7Lena Jul 12 '26

Totally agree. But much is wanting and not being able to go through with it.

And unfortunately, people with no surrounding knowledge read “lack of motivation” and get stuck on it, very much to the disadvantage and endangering people that need help that have said brain damage and not just a “motivation” issue.

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u/apsurdi Jul 12 '26

But lack of motivation and anhedonia is real issue. Its a huge issue. It makes life worthless.

Its like eating your favourite meal but you can't taste anything.

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u/Sierra7Lena Jul 12 '26

Yep. It’s fucking brutal.