Archive for the ‘Psychological Aspects’ Category

22 Year Old Chronic Lyme Patient Commits Suicide

https://www.insider.com/woman-dies-by-suicide-after-long-battle-with-lyme-disease-2022-9

A 22-year-old died by suicide after years-long struggle with chronic Lyme disease, her father says in a heart-wrenching LinkedIn post

Andrea Michelson
Sep 23, 2022, 10:19 AM
Amélie Champagne.
Courtesy of Alain Champagne
  • Amélie Champagne, 22, died by suicide this month after a battle with Lyme disease, her father said.
  • Lyme disease can infiltrate the joints, heart, and nervous system if left untreated.
  • Her father shared the news on LinkedIn.

Amélie Champagne, 22, struggled to find an explanation for her physical pain for years before she was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease in June 2021.

By then, the tick-borne bacteria had already taken a severe toll on her brain. On a Sunday this September — more than a year after her diagnosis — Champagne died by suicide.

Her father Alain, outgoing president of the Canadian drugstore chain Jean Coutu Group, recently shared the news in a poignant LinkedIn post. (See link for article)

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SUMMARY:

  • Like so many, it took years before this woman got diagnosed with Lyme disease.
  • And like so many, this complex disease(s) “hijacked her.”
  • If you or someone you know is experiencing depression or has had thoughts of harming themself or taking their own life, get help. In the US, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which provides 24/7, free, confidential support for people in distress, as well as best practices for professionals and resources to aid in prevention and crisis situations. Help is also available through the Crisis Text Line — just text “HOME” to 741741.
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Category:

Activism, Lyme, Psychological Aspects

Lyme & Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

https://www.globallymealliance.org/blog/lyme-and-ptsd

Lyme and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

by Jennifer Crystal on June 16, 2022

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Many who contract chronic Lyme disease develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a result of the stress, pain, and suffering.

For many years after my April 2007 relapse of Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses, I experienced symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder each spring. As the weather blossomed with new possibility, my body went into “fight or flight” mode, the stress response we have when we encounter danger. For animals, this is the natural protective reaction of prey when a predator swoops in. Humans have the same reaction when they are in immediate danger—say, in combat—or when they are confronted with trauma, like a shocking loss or a catastrophic medical event.

Once we are out of danger, the “fight or flight” response usually abates, but for some, it can hang on for months or years, triggered when someone is reminded of the trauma. Even though I wasn’t consciously worried about relapsing again, my body would remember that time and prepare each spring as if it were going to happen. I’d suffer from anxiety, flashbacks, and nightmares. As Bessel Van der Kolk, M.D. writes in The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma,

“While we all want to move beyond trauma, the part of our brain that is devoted to ensuring our survival (deep below our rational brain) is not very good at denial. Long after a traumatic experience is over, it may be reactivated at the slightest hint of danger and mobilize disturbed brain circuits and secrete massive amounts of hormones.”[i]

Ironically, though my body was trying to protect me from experiencing relapse, it is precisely this stress response that can trigger a flare for Lyme disease patients. My doctor equates a high release of the stress hormone cortisol to “walking into a minefield of ticks.” This news, of course, only made me more stressed; was my subconscious worry about relapse going to cause a relapse?

Thankfully it didn’t, but I had to work hard to fight both the possibility of relapse and my innate response to that possibility. This required boosting my immune system, engaging in talk therapy (including cognitive behavioral therapy), increasing adjunct therapies, and grounding myself with mindfulness and fun. Through my work, I learned that I was not alone. I had always associated PTSD with veterans, who do understandably suffer high rates of this ongoing stress response. But PTSD can happen to anyone who experiences trauma, and there are so many aspects of tick-borne illness that are traumatic.

In addition to the devastating physical toll of tick-borne diseases, especially when they are undiagnosed for months or years, prolonged serious illness can take a toll on finances, relationships, and self-worth. The diagnosis process itself can be traumatizing.

“It’s important to understand that many of these undiagnosed patients have suffered not only the debilitating physical symptoms of tick-borne disease, but also the indignity of being humiliated and demeaned by many of the specialists they have visited,” writes psychiatrist Bernard Raxlen, M.D. in his book Lyme Disease: Medical Myopia and the Hidden Global Pandemic. “A negative process, sustained by a punishing medical system, has traumatized these patients.”[ii]

Visiting a doctor, worrying about relapse, or experiencing the tiniest flare of symptoms can trigger a PTSD response in patients of tick-borne illness. As we head into summer and the height of tick season, many of us also experience PTSD as we worry about being reinfected. I’m now feeling healthier than I have in years, and celebrate summer with swimming, kayaking and paddleboarding. But as I head out for these activities, I’m bathing myself in repellent. When I return, I’m fastidiously doing tick checks and taking other precautionary measures. My joyful days are often followed by nightmare-ridden sleep. (For more on this delicate balance, see my post “Managing Fear of Ticks During the Summer”).

PTSD is a natural response for Lyme patients. The first step in coping with it is normalizing this reaction. There’s no shame in experiencing PTSD, and having anxiety-related symptoms does not mean “you’re crazy” or “it’s all in your head.” It may mean that you have a diagnosable and treatable disorder. Talk to your Lyme Literate Medical Doctor (LLMD) about ways to manage your PTSD. Eventually, with the right support, you just may be able to rewire your response, and could even find your PTSD turning into PTG: Post-Traumatic Growth.

[i] Van der Kolk, Bessel, M.D. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma. New York: Penguin Books, 2015 (2).

[ii] Raxlen, Bernard, M.D. with Cashel, Allie. Lyme Disease: Medical Myopia and the Hidden Global Pandemic. London, UK: Hammersmith Health Books, 2019 (20).

Writer

Jennifer Crystal

Opinions expressed by contributors are their own. Jennifer Crystal is a writer and educator in Boston. Her work has appeared in local and national publications including Harvard Health Publishing and The Boston Globe. As a GLA columnist for over six years, her work on GLA.org has received mention in publications such as The New Yorker, weatherchannel.com, CQ Researcher, and ProHealth.com. Jennifer is a patient advocate who has dealt with chronic illness, including Lyme and other tick-borne infections. Her memoir about her medical journey is forthcoming. Contact her via email below.

Email: lymewarriorjennifercrystal@gmail.com

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**Comment**

PTSD is very real for Lyme/MSIDS patients, but rarely discussed.  There are numerous pathogens besides Lyme that can cause mental health issues.  I can relate to virtually everything in this post – and my husband can as well.  Since the two of us were infected it put a lot of stress on our family which meant we had to be very open with our children who were teenagers at the time going through their own stuff!

We essentially became each other’s therapist and had to work through trauma sometimes going all the way back to childhood, because the brain is a funny thing that can remind you of a past you thought was completely forgotten with something as simple as a fragrance, image, or sound from the past.  Feelings come bubbling up and you have to face them and deal with them. 

This aspect of the Lyme/MSIDS journey is a very important one that you can’t just treat with a pill to make it go away, although treating the infections causing it is a crucial, required step.  This is deep stuff that requires patience, time, and freedom/safety to talk about the past, feelings, and sometimes downright crazy thoughts.

But know this: you are not alone and you are not crazy.  You are a complex person with a complex history that often needs revisiting, facing, and unraveling.  The effort you put into it will all be worth it in the end.

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Category:

Lyme, Psychological Aspects

Tonight: “Lyme Brain & Fibro Fog” With Dr. Rawls

Join Dr. Bill Rawls for a LIVE WEBINAR + Q&A TONIGHT at 8pm EDT as he explains what causes the neurological symptoms and brain fog that often accompany chronic Lyme disease and fibromyalgia.

Dr. Rawls will also share natural remedies for long-lasting relief.

Some of the things discussed in this webinar will be:

  • Why cognitive symptoms like confusion, short-term memory loss, anxiety, anger, and depression are so common in chronic illness patients such as those with Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, and Long COVID
  • How microbes, inflammation, and immune dysfunction disrupt cognitive function
  • The best herbs and natural remedies for restoring and protecting brain health
  • Diet tips and other lifestyle factors that help ease symptoms
  • Numerous insights during the LIVE Q&A with Dr. Rawls

Join us, and bring your questions! Plus, we will announce a free gift and drawing for webinar attendees.
Reserve Your Seat Now »

Category:

Herbs, Inflammation, Lyme, Psychological Aspects, Supplements

Ahead of the Curve Interview With Dr. Alan McDonald

https://tickbootcamp.com/episode-300-ahead-of-the-curve-an-interview-with-dr-alan-mcdonal  Interview Here (Approx. 2 hours 13 min)

September 10, 2022

Episode 300: Ahead of the Curve – an interview with Dr. Alan McDonald

Doctor_Alan_MacDonald
Audio Player
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Dr. Alan MacDonald is an Ivy League educated Medical Doctor who worked as a hospital pathologist in the eastern Long Island, New York area at the outset of the modern Lyme disease pandemic. He and his pioneering work were first featured on episode 171 of the Tick Boot Camp Podcast.

In this comprehensive interview, Dr. MacDonald discusses his groundbreaking and yet to be published research findings on topics such as the Lyme disease connection to suicide, brain cancer, Leukemia, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease, in addition to how acute Lyme disease disrupts liver function and why and how Lyme disease testing is flawed.

PS you can also view an exclusive Tick Boot Camp presentation created by Dr. MacDonald with photos of Lyme under a microscope and descriptions highlighting the various topics discussed in this interview

Check out his GoFundMe page  to help him continue his groundbreaking work.

McDonald has truly done ground-breaking work but has been vilified by many of his own colleagues who seemingly can’t think outside the box or accept new information. Go here to watch other videos where he shows parasitosis (Neural Larval Migrans) within MS patients as he discovered nematode worms, eggs and both larval forms and mating adult pairs present in the brain and spinal fluid of MS patients.  These videos are circa 2016 and are revolutionary yet are quietly collecting dust and simply ignored in mainstream research.

At 5 min and 51 sec into the 2016 London lecture, you will see the discovery of worms in the brain and spinal fluid of EVERY MS patient tested.  He also explains the difficulty in finding these worms as they move from one area to another.

These worms cause inflammation and damage in the CNS on their own but also infect us with Lyme and other infections. 

CLICK HERE to view the research poster of Dr. MacDonald’s discovery of filarial (small roundworms) in the central nervous system of MS patients at their time of death.

CLICK HERE to view the research poster of Dr. MacDonald’s discovery of tapeworm larva and developing juvenile tapeworms in the central nervous system of MS patients at their time of death.

What this means regarding treatment, is that if you are one of those patients with these worms, you need to disable/kill the worms to get to the borrelia/MSIDS inside them.  Anthelminitics such as ivermectin and Albenza are used to kill worms as well as natural medicines; however, this must be done under the supervision of a doctor as the inflammation and herxheimer reactions can be very great. 

For some patients, addressing worms is a game-changer.  Consider talking to your LLMD about it.

For more:

Category:

Alzheimer's, Lyme, Parasites, Psychological Aspects, Testing

Scientists: No Evidence for ‘Chemical Imbalance” Causing Depression

https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/depression-chemical-imbalance-theory-big-pharma-profits/

Depression and ‘Chemical Imbalance’ — Big Pharma Profits From Theory Scientists Say Doesn’t Exist

After reviewing decades of research, a group of University College London scientists concluded there’s no evidence changes in serotonin levels cause depression. But the chemical imbalance theory — which overnight gave drugmakers a highly profitable income stream, doctors a ready-made, patient-pleasing tool, the media, reliable new advertisers and Wall Street, hot new stocks — remains popular.

big pharma profit depression chemical imbalance feature

By Martha Rosenberg

“Lexapro appears to relieve the symptoms of depression and anxiety by increasing serotonin,” says an ad on the Bonkers Institute, a website that archives drug ads and also satirizes pharma claims and shaky science.

“Zoloft works to correct a chemical imbalance in the brain which may be related to symptoms of depression,” another ad says.

“Paxil CR blocks serotonin from being reabsorbed back into the sending nerve cell. This process increases the availability of serotonin to the receiving nerve cell and may help message [depression] transmission return to normal,” a third ad says.

As many Epoch Times readers may have heard, the serotonin “chemical imbalance” theory of depression was recently put to rest by a group of University College London scientists in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

After reviewing decades of research, there’s no evidence that serotonin levels or serotonin activity are responsible for depression, they wrote.

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SUMMARY:

  • Similarly to the Cabals that control research in Alzheimer’s, Cancer, and Lyme/MSIDS (among many others), a cabal has also controlled mental health  with a false narrative that has literally driven the entire mental health field.
  • This control has snuffed out any dissenting voices – forcing the flow of money, research, and effort through a narrow straw of singular thought. 
  • In mental health, the singular narrative is the basis for profitable selective seratonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drugs used for depression despite being questioned for decades by scientists.
  • SSRIs have caused severe side effects, withdrawals, and are known to increase bone loss and fracture risk, as well as the risk of the dreaded intestinal condition of Clostridium difficile, yet prescription rates continue to rise.  The good news for Big Pharma is that these side effects will necessitate yet more prescriptions – making lifelong customers.  What a business model!
    • Harvard Health Publishing estimated that about 1 in 4 American women in their 40s and 50s were taking antidepressants
    • The faulty “chemical imbalance of seratonin causing depression” theory allowed drug makers and doctors a ready-made, patient pleasing tool not to mention hot new profitable stocks. Worldwide sales of SSRIs have been estimated to soar as high as $18.29 billion by 2027.
  • Psychiatrists and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) are highly funded by Big Pharma – and 70% of the authors of the APA’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders were funded directly by Big Pharma (sound familiar?). These, BTW, were the first to push back against the Molecular Psychiatry article refuting the serotonin theory.

Important quote:

As Mark Horowitz, co-author of the Molecular Psychiatry article, put it, “One interesting aspect in the studies we examined was how strong an effect adverse life events played in depression, suggesting low mood is a response to people’s lives and cannot be boiled down to a simple chemical equation.”

If depression comes from stress, trauma, grief, loneliness and social conditions such as poverty, as Horowitz suggests, it wouldn’t be amenable to medication treatment.

Regarding depression, and mental health in general, I found that my low mood paralleled with how I felt physically.  In other words, the worse I felt physically, the worse I felt mentally.  Getting to the root of the problem (infections) with appropriate, effective antimicrobial treatment is key and the best and first place to start; however, as always – we are all so very different.

Some patients will really have to deal with past trauma like my husband.  The more trauma that happened to you before you became infected, the more this will rear its ugly head.  Nobody really talks about this, but it is yet another crucial issue as we must deal with the body, mind, and spirit. Since Lyme/MSIDS infects the brain, it does a number on your emotions as well as your hormones, neurotransmitters, etc. – all of which can extrapolates out to having to deal with things you thought you had forgotten or dealt with long ago.  Nope.  It all comes back to haunt you in the wee hours of the night when you have unrelenting insomnia.  Developing tools/skills to deal with this will be another challenge in this pot-holed riddled journey.  I’m no expert in this but for us we talked and prayed a lot – often between the hours of 3-5 a.m.  Here’s a few resources, particularly on fear as this is a common emotion of Lyme/MSIDS patients as they struggle with feeling no longer in control of their body and mind:

Inflammation appears to be a huge disease driver and lowering inflammation will help every other issue.  There are many things you can experiment with at home and as always – bounce things off of your doctor to make sure what you add doesn’t have negative interactions with what you are already taking.  Lyme literate doctors are versed in all of this as it’s a common problem for those struggling with infections.

My only advice is only try ONE thing at a time so you can track progress and know if it’s helping or not.  No sense in paying for things that don’t work.  If it doesn’t help – drop it and move on to experiment #2, 3, 4 and so on until you find something that helps.  IF something helps BUT you can still improve, then it’s time to begin layering in other things ONE AT A TIME, making sure to keep track of responses.  This has been how we have gotten to the other side of health.  Effective, antimicrobial treatment for Lyme/MSIDS was the BIG important necessary step, but then we have had to add in many supplements/treatments to lessen and eliminate symptoms that remained.

Knowing when something is driven by infection vs when something is driven by inflammation, or other causes will test your sleuthing abilities like nothing else.

Notice how the patient in the article had a mold problem.  In my experience, patients who have tick-borne illness and mold are some of the sickest people I know.  The mold MUST be dealt with or the patient will not improve.  The same could be said about having MCAS, the inability to detox, and so many other issues.

Category:

Psychological Aspects, research, Treatment