my brother is getting treatment for his lyme disese-but i see him getting more and more paranoid about things not related to his health
does this go with lyme?
i'm not sure how to help him-he dwells on what he is afraid of and it stops him from doing things he is supposed to do to get well
Posted by SmurfyMom (Member # 13688) on :
YES!!! I have dealt with paranoia about specific things/situations for years. LONG before discovering I had Lyme.
I just had an appt with my LLMD yesterday, and my mom went with. She told the dr the name of the game for me was paranoia and that I was scared to tell him anything for fear he'd quit treating me.
That is just one of my paranoias. I have several.
I had actually warned my mom NOT to say anything to doc because I was afraid she'd get me in trouble, but she didn't listen to me.
I'm just glad I *didn't* get in trouble.
I'm starting new meds now. Nothing for the paranoia specifically (I don't think), but 2 of my new meds are anti-depressants and I got the impression he thought they would help.
Chris
Posted by feelfit (Member # 12770) on :
Yep,
paranoia for me too. About the meds. about my head=stroke, heart=failure, legs/arms=paralized.
Bruising=lukemia....the list goes on. I think it goes hand in hand w/ the bizzare sx and anxiety.
I'm way better now than I was several months ago.
U R not alone!
Feelfit Posted by abc (Member # 17059) on :
thank you. so lyme tx helped the paranoia symptoms and psyc drugs also helped?
i wondered if counseling was something to look into
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Counseling would be great too if you can afford it!!
Posted by Keebler (Member # 12673) on :
-
It would be great to find a LL counselor who could work in conjunction with a protocol from a LLMD.
-
Posted by bettyg (Member # 6147) on :
thanks for trying to be there for your brother and helping him.
yes, paranoia is bad the longer you hve chronic lyme!
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Posted by rhymylymey (Member # 17049) on :
Yes, lotsss of paranoia. I'm constantly awake at night always fearing someone is going to break into my house. If hear the slightest thump or sound I freak out and go into high alert. I also get very nervous when I hear planes flying overhead. I fear it might be some type of UFO or god knows what..
I know this is lyme related because it never happened prior to getting sick. Often time life seems dreamlike, like I'm watching things happen from the outside. The best medicine for me was learning to just live the dream, to focus myself in as best as possible.
Posted by Radha (Member # 8464) on :
yes i have terrible paranoia, always feeling like
people dont really beleive fully what i say, like
how sick i am, i always feel like i have to keep
convincing everyone even though i know everyone
already believes me, its very stressful with all
the terrible anxiety i have too, always so jumpy
and nervous, thank God i have such an
understanding and patient mom!
Radha
Posted by abc (Member # 17059) on :
thank you everyone. this is helping me.
his is the most like rhymylymey
he worries about his health and not being able to work...but to me that is normal and makes sense
it even makes sense to me to be worried others don't think he is sick...CUZ THEY DON'T!
when he goes off worrying about planes and others taking him away is what concerns me
it comes and goes-and sometimes he can self-talk himself through it and blame the lyme
thanks so much. i will try to read all that stuff...but i know he is with a good llmd and i have my own family to take care of
he is in ct-there's a lot of lyme but also a lot of llmds. others in my family have too. some are in denial-some are treating. he is the only one with the paranoia.
Posted by Clint31 (Member # 16420) on :
I always have paranoia that i'm going to drop dead
Posted by Wimenin (Member # 15294) on :
Paranoia?...Yes. Welcome to lyme, the great conspiracy...in our minds.
Posted by SmurfyMom (Member # 13688) on :
Radha- do you take anything for the anxiety and paranoia? And if so, does it help?? I swear, you described me to a T!
I have been this way for years and years (we supsect I am a congenital Lymie), but now that the Lyme is diagnosed it's even worse because now I'm freakin out over people...including my LLMD... believing it's Lyme!
I am such a mess! lol Neat thing is now I know there is a reason for it. I've lived this way most of my life and didn't know there was possibly a way to fix it.
Chris
Posted by nwisser (Member # 15682) on :
I went through horrible paranoia, sometimes about my husband cheating on me, sometimes thinking I had infestations of strange insects in my house (did complete detailed cleanings, found nothing . . . ), thought everyone despised me and talked behind my back, etc., etc. Not fun, and very harmful to relationships.
Posted by Radha (Member # 8464) on :
hi chris, unfortunately nothing helps the
paranoia, i am not able to handle taking any abx,
so maybe if you can treat the infection, maybe
the paranoia would get better by itself, i do
have some ativan with me when anxiety is very
bad, but it doesnt do much, this anxiety and
paranoia pretty much controls my whole life and
makes me just so miserable all the time! sorry i
didnt have any helpful suggestions, i just thank
God that my mom is there with me all the time to
listen to me and give me soothing answers to my
constant questions.
Radha
Posted by AliG (Member # 9734) on :
For a better understanding of some of the psychiatric manifestations of Lyme Disease, you can do some reading here: www.thehumansideoflyme.net
It can be a pretty frightening disease to live with at times. Posted by Erica741 (Member # 15186) on :
Hi ABC,
First, I want commend you for being so supportive of your brother and trying to help him with the emotional issues that often accompany Lyme disease
Since it sounds like your brother's fears extend beyond "realistic" worries about his health, his job, and how others perceive his illness, and into unrealistic fears like being abducted by UFOs or taken away by planes, he may have developed some serious mental health issues from the Lyme.
What does your brother's LLMD say about his paranoia?
My first thought is for your brother to see a neurologist (ideally one familiar with neuro-Lyme issues) to find out if there is any organic cause of his paranoia.
I also suggest he see a psychiatrist who is familiar with Lyme disease and its affects on the brain.
His LLMD will hopefully able to refer him to such specialists.
I also think your brother would benefit from counseling, regardless of what is causing his paranoia. If the psychiatrist does not do therapy, then ask him/her to refer your brother to a therapist familiar with Lyme.
Since your brother lives in an area where Lyme is common, hopefully it will be relatively easy to find specialists and therapists who are knowledgeable about Lyme disease.
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