According to studies, participants hospitalized for Lyme infection had a 28 percent greater rate of behavioral illnesses but were double as prone to try suicides as persons lacking Lyme.
“These findings highlight the need for greater awareness in the medical community that patients after a serious case of Lyme disease are at increased risk of mental disorders and suicidal behaviors, particularly during the first year after diagnosis,” study author Dr. Brian Fallon stated. He is a psychiatrist at the New York State Psychiatric Institute and the director of Columbia University’s Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center.
Lyme Disease Can Affect Your Mood
Mood swing is though considered normal, it can be seen as abnormal in many cases and such people need to undergo various medical situations due to their changing mental state. To accompany the right mood it is necessary that you must be in the right state but the disease such as Lyme can also be a factor behind the mood swing and the same must be diagnosed by an expert.
It’s unclear whether the illness creates psychological conditions or if it arises from combating the other signs of Lyme disease, according to Joseph Trunzo, head of the school of psychology at Bryant University in Smithfield.
“While most people with Lyme disease do not develop subsequent psychiatric problems, some do. Clinicians need to ask about suicidal thoughts and depression in particular if symptoms persist,” Fallon said.
Viral infections have a lengthy record of producing serious psychological and behavioral healthcare problems. “Lyme causes an inflammatory response in the host and that association of inflammation and psychiatric problems and suicidal behavior are well-documented,” Trunzo said.
Fallon with his coworkers examined the healthcare data of approximately 7 million individuals in Denmark over 22 years for the research. The scientists examined the psychological health of Lyme infection patients to those that had not had Lyme illness. Individuals who had a record of psychiatric illness or attempted death previously being diagnosed with Lyme illness are removed from the research.
The researchers discovered that persons with Lyme infection were more likely to have behavioral health issues and contemplate suicide. In comparison to persons lacking Lyme disease, they had a 42 percent greater rate of melancholy and bipolar illness, as well as a 75 percent higher percentage of suicide attempts.
The majority of individuals, on the other hand, do not suffer serious psychological healthcare problems. According to the research’s researchers, just 7percent of the almost 13,000 persons with Lyme disease developed signs of psychological illnesses throughout the research.
“Lyme disease is not a simple illness,” Fallon said. “It can cause serious neurologic, psychiatric, cardiac, and rheumatologic problems, as well. Patients experiencing psychiatric problems related to Lyme disease should seek professional help, as this infection can be challenging, leading to serious mental health consequences.”
Lorraine Johnson is CEO of LymeDisease.org. She said, “We know that there’s a psychiatric component to what is going on, but I think that what is driving the increased suicide rates among patients with Lyme disease is that they are disbelieved, they are stigmatized, and they are gas lighted by physicians, by insurers, often by society and, sometimes, unfortunately, by their families.”
She noted that many individuals are unable to function and have limited therapeutic alternatives.
The American Journal of Psychiatry released the review course on July 28.
“If they go to a health care provider and they’re gas lighted, and they’re not believed or told it’s all in their head, and then their family doesn’t strongly support them, then it’s really easy to become hopeless, to feel despair, and I think that is the sort of thing that increases the risk of suicide,” Johnson added.
With over 15 years as a practicing journalist, Nikki Attkisson found herself at Powdersville Post now after working at several other publications. She is an award-winning journalist with an entrepreneurial spirit and worked as a journalist covering technology, innovation, environmental issues, politics, health etc. Nikki Attkisson has also worked on product development, content strategy, and editorial management for numerous media companies. She began her career at local news stations and worked as a reporter in national newspapers.