Falmouth, Mass. Two decades ago, life started to fall apart for Elizabeth Pykosz. In 1978, she was 21 and happy, playing bass guitar in a country band, living a life with few burdens. Then, suddenly and inexplicably, the happiness drained away, and in its place arose a tide of depression that no amount of psychiatric treatment, no combination of psychotropic drugs, nor any of her 10 suicide attempts could force back down.
No matter what her doctors tried, she just deteriorated. She tried to keep up with her painting, but she seemed to be losing her skill at that, too. And she was mystified, with no idea why she had suddenly sunk so low.

Two years ago, Pykosz, now 42, discovered there was a physical cause for her illness: Lyme disease.

The most common symptoms of Lyme disease -- rashes, lethargy, joint pain -- are well known by now. But the mental effects of advanced Lyme disease -- which some doctors believe include anxiety, memory loss, depression, obsessive-compulsive behavior and extreme aggression -- are still a matter of heated contention.

Awareness has grown since the disease, which is carried by deer ticks and is a problem in Wisconsin, was first discovered in the late 1970s. More and more patients are being correctly diagnosed and treated with antibiotics to kill the bacteria before it does irreparable damage.

But advocates say those who suffer the mental effects of advanced Lyme disease have been left behind. Their illness, missed in its early stages, was allowed to worsen until the infection reached their brains.

Doctors estimate there are thousands of patients like Pykosz, suffering crippling psychiatric problems and taking heavy doses of psychotropic drugs, not knowing that Lyme has caused their illness or that they might be helped with antibiotics.

"If I'd been diagnosed earlier, all of this could have been avoided," Pykosz said of her years of psychiatric illness. "I've gone through an awful lot, and it makes me mad."

Patients like Pykosz are caught in a cross-fire between those who believe Lyme disease is widespread and those who believe Lyme disease has become the disease du jour, overdiagnosed and overtreated with dangerous doses of antibiotics.

While one group of doctors sees a clear connection between the illness and psychiatric symptoms, another believes the connection is tenuous at best and that psychiatrists may be harming mentally ill patients with antibiotics.

"I think in all too many cases what's being called psychiatric disease due to Lyme disease is not, and that other forms of treatment than prolonged antibiotic therapy would be more effective for these people," said Allen Steere, chief of rheumatology and director of the Lyme Disease program at New England Medical Center.

Those who care for Lyme patients with psychiatric symptoms say Steere refuses to acknowledge a public health crisis.

"What we're starting to learn should be a huge wake-up call to all mental health professionals," said Paul K. Ling, a psychologist and advocate for patients with mental symptoms of Lyme disease. "Otherwise, a whole lot of needless human suffering will be the result."

Some doctors liken the situation to earlier thinking on other physical illnesses that were first thought to be psychological.

"There were people in insane asylums who were found to have thyroid disease and syphilis and lupus," said Sam T. Donta, professor of medicine at Boston University. "History tells us there are causes for these illnesses. They're not due to evil spirits."

This was at the beginning of all my symptoms over a year ago.

Ever since then, I've been scared to death that I have cancer. That either cancer is 'really' causing all my problems or Lyme is hiding cancer symptoms and the doctors will miss the signs until it's too late.....

I know that I really shouldn't be thinking like that, as I am only 29 yrs. old and both of my parents and all siblings are still alive.

But as much as I tell myself I'm being silly and am letting anxiety rule my thoughts, it is still in the back of my mind almost all the time.

She is now perfectly fine but it was the BARTONELLA treatment that halted the mental psychosis.

If you do suffer severe emotional liability, rage attacks, obsessive compulsive disorder and depression asked to be treated for Bartonella.

My daughter tested negative for two years and we JUST got a positive thru Igenex which (Thank God) will allow her doctor to treat her.

I think a few LLMD's treat for all co-infections regardless of test results!!