Hello @colleenyoung , many thanks for your helpful reply.

Yes, we're based in the UK. I have since read that you are a Stateside organisation and am now a tad concerned that I might be wasting your time (having said that, we haven't had much luck with healthcare here in the UK, so if you are indeed a US-only organisation, it would be great if you could recommend a worldwide/nationality-neutral channel to go through).

I think I may have undersold my girlfriend's determination to recover. It's not that she is increasingly apathetic, it's just that she does occasionally/often (depending on the week) become demoralised at the lack of answers and help from the medical community so far and thus, combined with the effects of her malaise, become rather depressed. If full recovery wasn't her goal, she'd almost certainly have just stuck with the antidepressant route, even if the warmth didn't feel 'real' and the symptoms lurked beneath it. However, her persistence in her day-to-day life does not translate well to her dealing with doctors because of aforementioned unhelpful experiences, the fear of being persuaded to take more myopic - or even dangerous - prescriptions, as well as limited communication skills (she's naturally rather introverted and has self-esteem issues and English is her second language, although she is now fluent).

The thread you linked to was very interesting and we can certainly learn something from their perseverance and inquiry. It's very reassuring that people can come through what at times seem like hopeless situations to find their answers.

Many thanks once again for your reply.