Counseling Associates, LLC

Providing The Help You Need

There's more to Lyme than meets the eye.

It's hard to diagnose and most medical practitioners simply don't know enough about it. Too many times, Lyme patients have been told their symptoms are imaginary. They've been referred to multiple specialists, had more tests run than they can count, and are told to seek psychiatric help because nothing is really wrong physically. Then, when a Lyme diagnosis is made, family and friends don't understand the disease or why treatment can make you feel worse before you get better. You can end up isolated and with minimal support. Treatment can also be expensive, since many Lyme Literate Medical Doctors ("LLMDs") either don't accept insurance or are not local, so patients have to travel for appointments. What a mess! 

Julie Parker understands what you're going through.  Not only is she Lyme Literate (trained to help those with Lyme and other chronic illnesses), but she and family members have Lyme disease and personally know the trials of diagnosis and treatment. She is a member of the  International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society ("ILADS"), and has had further training regarding Lyme, co-infections, PANDAS, and PANS. If you don't know what all that means or if you already know but want to learn more, we have provided links to information and groups you may find helpful. 

• PANDAS is an acronym for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with a Streptococcal infection. Children with PANDAS may exhibit a variety of emotional and behavioral symptoms and have multiple physical and psychiatric diagnoses. See www.pandasnetwork.org for a starting point to learn about this diagnosis. Please note that the diagnostic criteria are changing and children are NOT required to have rapid onset of symptoms in order to have PANDAS. 

• PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome) is similar to PANDAS but caused by other factors and resulting in behavioral changes. Look here for more information.  

• Lyme disease is caused by the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria and is often missed by medical providers due to faulty medical testing and inaccurate knowledge of symptom presentation. Left untreated or inadequately treated, Lyme can become chronic and evolve into a total-body illness that debilitates. 
  

Lyme disease is sometimes referred to as Multiple Systemic Infectious Disease Syndrome ("MSIDS") due to it's presentation and that typically someone diagnosed with Lyme will have other infections as well. These co-infections vary but may include Ehrlichia, Babesia, Bartonella, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Mycoplasma Pneumoniae, Chlamydia Pneumoniae, and others. 

In this interview below with Julie Parker, learn about:

• The benefits of having a mental health counselor who is Lyme literate

• The difference between PANDAS and PANS and their impact on mental health

• How you can best support a family member or a loved one with a chronic illness

To Learn More About Lyme We Suggest Browsing the Following: