CBT is a sensitive topic for some with Electrohypersensitivity (EHS). In the literature, the condition is also referred to as Idiopathic Environmental Intolerance attributed to electromagnetic fields (IEI-EMF). Traditionally, those with Electrohypersensitivity have been stigmatized and marginalized.
Challenges and Stigma in EHS
Examples include:
• Comparisons to “Better Call Saul”
• “It does not exist” / “It’s all in the head”
This article is not intended as a critique of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Rather, it is grounded in the position that the aim of any therapy or intervention should be to support EHS/IEI-EMF individuals in integrating back into society as fully participating citizens.
It seeks to illustrate the frustrations experienced by some individuals with EHS and the associated mistrust of CBT in certain contexts.
For example, if an employer simply dismisses an employee’s concerns by stating that “EHS does not exist,” can the resulting increase in anxiety and frustration reasonably be attributed to the employee alone?
In such cases, the employer may be unaware of, or may choose to disregard, the obligation to provide reasonable accommodation for individuals affected by EHS.
“For some patients who are anxious owed to their daily EMF exposed, cognitive behavioral therapy has been beneficial (68). In practice it may be prudent for society to try and make amendments, within reason, where family, friends, colleagues or staff identify as suffering from EHS; regardless of whether the underlying mechanism is biophysical or psychological in nature.”
de Vocht F and Röösli M (2025) Electrohypersensitivity: what is belief and what is known? Front. Public Health. 13:1603692. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1603692
“Yet, whatever the cause, perceived sensitivity to EMF remains to disproportionally impact the lives of some individuals. In practice it may therefore be prudent for society to try and make amendments, within reason, where family, friends, colleagues or staff identify as suffering from EHS.”
Leszczynski D and de Vocht F (2025) Editorial: Individual sensitivity to wireless radiation. Front. Public Health 13:1744897. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1744897
“EHS is not real”
The claim that “EHS is not real” is inconsistent with the positions of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). These organizations do not deny the existence of EHS as a reported and potentially debilitating condition. Instead, they acknowledge that the symptoms are real, while noting that scientific evidence has not established electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure as the cause. As such, stating that “EHS is not real” misrepresents their position.
Author overlap in EHS studies
Electrohypersensitivity (EHS) represents a severely disabling condition. These authors view the symptoms as not caused by electromagnetic exposure (Pitron, Haanes, Hillert et al., 2023, Environmental Research). It is worth noting that (some of) the same researchers who link EHS to nocebo mechanisms have published a protocol to investigate whether CBT might help people with EHS-like symptoms (Pitron et al., 2025). However, this overlap may raise concerns for individuals who feel their experiences have been minimized in the past. For people who have faced stigma or dismissal, the connection between the explanation and the proposed treatment can create mistrust—not necessarily toward CBT itself, but toward the wider research context.
Beyond mechanisms
Ultimately, debates about mechanisms should not distract from the lived reality of those affected. Regardless of how EHS is explained, some individuals experience real limitations that shape their daily lives, work, and relationships. Recognising this does not require agreement on causation, only a willingness to listen, accommodate where possible, and avoid unnecessary dismissal. For many, that stated willingness may matter as much as any specific intervention.
More on the topic: Access to Information in a Democracy https://www.emfsa.co.za/news/access-to-information-in-a-democracy/
References:
ICNIRP Chair, Rodney Croft: Electrohypersensitivity https://www.emfsa.co.za/ehs/icnirps-chair-rodney-croft-electrohypersensitivity/
WHO Electrohypersensitivity Backgrounder December 2005 https://www.who.int/teams/environment-climate-change-and-health/radiation-and-health/non-ionizing/hypersensitivity
Electromagnetic hypersensitivity : proceedings International Workshop on Electromagnetic Field Hypersensitivity, Prague, Czech Republic, October 25-27, 2004 13 May 2006 Report https://wkc.who.int/resources/publications/i/item/9789241594127
Frequently Asked Questions related to the ICNIRP RF EMF Guidelines 2020 https://www.icnirp.org/en/rf-faq/index.html
de Vocht F and Röösli M (2025) Electrohypersensitivity: what is belief and what is known? Front. Public Health. 13:1603692. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1603692 https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1603692/full
Editorial: Individual sensitivity to wireless radiation https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1744897/full
Editorial: Individual sensitivity to wireless radiation: Important summary quote https://betweenrockandhardplace.wordpress.com/2025/12/05/ehs-editorial-by-leszczynski-and-de-vocht/
Victor Pitron, Jan Vilis Haanes, Lena Hillert, Ferenc Gàbor Köteles, Damien Léger, Cédric Lemogne, Steven Nordin, Renáta Szemerszky, Irene van Kamp, Christoph van Thriel, Michael Witthöft, Omer Van den Bergh, Electrohypersensitivity is always real, Environmental Research, Volume 218, 2023, 114840, ISSN 0013-9351, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2022.114840.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935122021673)
Pitron, V., Petzke, T., Zablith, I. et al. Efficacy of cognitive and behavioral therapy (CBT) treatment for individuals living with symptoms associated with environmental factors (SAEF): protocol for a randomized controlled trial. BMC Psychol 13, 1296 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-03564-5 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40359-025-03564-5
*Photo by Marcel Strauß on Unsplash