Lyme Disease Support Group
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the Northern Hemisphere. It is now one of the fastest growing infectious diseases in the U.S. Lyme disease is caused by infection with the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, and is primarily transmitted to humans as well as dogs, horses and other domesticated animals by the bite of infected ticks.
Lyme disease can present in a myriad of ways, from a swollen knee to behaviors that mimic neuropsychiatric syndromes.
"Psychiatric syndromes caused by infectious disease most commonly include depression, OCD, panic disorder, social phobias, variants of ADD, episodic impulsive hostility, bipolar disorders, eating disorders, dementia, various cognitive impairments, psychosis, and a few cases of dissociative episodes.
In clinical experience, the link between infectious disease and psychopathology has been an issue with Lyme disease, syphilis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, mycoplasma pneumonia, toxoplasmosis; stealth virus, borna virus, AIDS, CMV; herpes, strep and other unknown infectious agents. In the collective database of patients demonstrating psychiatric symptoms in response to infectious disease, the majority of the cases has been infected by ticks."
[my note: Bartonella henselae is well known for these types of syndromes.]
I found these articles well worth reading in order to understand that.
http://www.mentalhealthandillness.com/Articles/MicrobesAndMentalIllness.htm
http://www.anapsid.org/lyme/bransfield-neuropsych.pdf
http://www.anapsid.org/cnd/diffdx/rissenberg.html
"Psychiatric syndromes caused by infectious disease most commonly include depression, OCD, panic disorder, social phobias, variants of ADD, episodic impulsive hostility, bipolar disorders, eating disorders, dementia, various cognitive impairments, psychosis, and a few cases of dissociative episodes.
In clinical experience, the link between infectious disease and psychopathology has been an issue with Lyme disease, syphilis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, mycoplasma pneumonia, toxoplasmosis; stealth virus, borna virus, AIDS, CMV; herpes, strep and other unknown infectious agents. In the collective database of patients demonstrating psychiatric symptoms in response to infectious disease, the majority of the cases has been infected by ticks."
[my note: Bartonella henselae is well known for these types of syndromes.]
I found these articles well worth reading in order to understand that.
http://www.mentalhealthandillness.com/Articles/MicrobesAndMentalIllness.htm
http://www.anapsid.org/lyme/bransfield-neuropsych.pdf
http://www.anapsid.org/cnd/diffdx/rissenberg.html
NO ONE knows what causes any or all of the above mental maladies. For example, there is NO KNOWN PROVEN causes of OCD, schizophrenia and Bi-polar disorder. Many researchers. who have been working for decades on these terrible illnesses, have theorized about many causes including chemicals in the brain like serotonin, dopamine and epinephrine to name a few.
The leading OCD practitioners and researchers know that OCD as a result of Lyme is not worth treating like they would the vast majority who have OCD with no infectious disease. Hopefully, if they have an infectious disease, they would refer them to an MD to be checked for infectious diseases such as Lyme disease, mold infections or some viruses as listed in the above post. Of course, like all illnesses and many less competent MDs and PHDs, some people with OCD and other psych illnesses could show up at mental health offices and be treated as such as the clinician has no idea that the person's mental issue is being caused by Lyme or some other infectious disease. My GUESS I=these people would represent a small minority as most would experience other physical symptoms of that physical illness.
It would be nice to think that all everyone with a mental illness, psych disorder and personality disorder had to do was take several months of an anti-biotic and be cured or be much improved, but that is NOT reality and to perpetuate that idea is careless, misleading and incredibly ignorant.
Some people who unfortunately suffer for decades with a certain illness, think they see it in most other sick people as the real cause of many other illnesses and see it everywhere and "under every rock". They have become obsessed with their illness (hence, proof they do suffer from a mental issues).This is not the case (that most sick people really have that illness as the root cause).
Lyme is a terrible illness but it is NOT the cause of most mental disorders and not everyone who gets Lyme will present neurological symptoms, especially to the level of a mental illness.
I would think people who claim to be ONLY interested in "science" and facts, would not just find links on the internet to backup their delusional beliefs Studies and research papers are NOT facts or science but some ones assumptions or theories and some bright people can sound very persuasive in those papers but sometimes, are far from the reality of things.
PS Eventho the above poster is trying to imply that most people with psych disorders really have Lyme disease and the psych disorder is just another symptom of Lyme, the author of the article she quotes, is not saying that at all. Simply that some people with Lyme can get psych illnesses and they would simply go away with anti-biotics. The APA (amer psych assoc) would NEVER suggest that the majority of mentally ill people have Lyme disease and that is the cause of most mental illness. This would called "ABSURD"! Since there are TENS of MILLIONS of Americans with some mental illness, psych disorder or personality disorder, to assume that most of them have Lyme disease is beyond ridiculous.
With all respect, you have totally misunderstood why I posted those links.
I posted them because I agreed with what the authors said as you also said:
"the author of the article she quotes, is not saying that at all."
Now, we're agreed.
And btw your comments about me are bordering on an ad hominem attack. As the Rules state here at DS:
"Disagreeing with another member is fine, but don't make it personal."
Calling someone "delusional" seems a bit personal.
I don't think you're delusional, and thank you for providing us more information. IMHO, I think there's something to what those articles are stating. You'd be surprised how many Psychiatrists are now testing patients for LD when they're presented with unresolved anxiety and depression.......... just pray the tests become more sensitive soon.
Lost,
My, you ARE passionate about this issue. :-D I agree with you to a point. It would be hard to believe that LD is the cause of most psychiatric conditions, but can tell you from experience that this disease has caused me serious emotional issues.Depression and Anxiety for years, throw in some years of being pissed off at everyone, then add a dash paranoia and a huge heap of ADD............ok, I'll admit I probably had ADD prior to LD, but it definitely got worse. I can't imagine how many people are out there who've been misdiagnosed, and are being treated for a psychiatric problem when it's really a physical one.
I chose the name Sunni for this message board to remind myself of who I used to be. It was my nickname most of my life but a far cry of who I'd become. I believe my issues were LD related because there is no one on either side of my family who have had these issues, and I was the extreme opposite before I got sick. After 9 months of treatment, the majority of my issues have resolved or almost resolved. Either way, it's better! :D
Maybe LD isn't the cause of all psych issues, but without the scientific data to back a lot of this up, all we have to go on sometimes are our experiences. All I know for sure is that I believe 100% that my psych issues are/were due to LD.
Take care,
Sunni
"Distinct Pattern of Cognitive Impairment Noted in Study of Lyme Patients"