Mental health issues w/ teen

Thanks, 1000Daisies! Looks like I've got a lot of research ahead of me!

I know it's been awhile since this original post...things have gotten no better here! Actually worse! She's stolen from a family friend.

I know there was mention of Lyme literate counsellors and psychiatrists...does anyone know of any in the Philadelphia, PA or surrounding suburbs?

TIA

Make sure you check for mycoplasma. Mycoplasma and bart cause extremely severe psych issues when together

No problem its in Buhners mycoplasma and bart book!!! One of the ending chapters he talks about what mycoplasma and bartonella are like when they are together and explains that they cause VERY severe psychiatric issues like suicidality, rage, violence, personality changes, etc. He says that it can take up to two years of rigorous treatment to clear them up but that with time as the infection clears you will slowly but surely see all these psych symptoms disappear.
I really recommend RMTC that you look at buhner's mycoplasma and bartonella book. He describes psych issues VERY well in it. I cried when I read what happens to the brain with mycoplasma and bart there are so many things that go wrong in the brain it gets so sick.

Buhners book was so comforting because it made me more sympathetic to my sister and assured me her behavior was temporary. Before being diagnosed with lyme my sister was very volatile, verbally abusive, destroying all her personal relationships, angry, tempestous, suicidal, depressed, and horrid to her family. Once we started treating her with LOTS of compassion and validating her feelings and telling her that she is strong and brave she started to warm up a little, but what helped the MOST was her antibiotic combo of azrithomycin, tinidazole, rifampin, and biofilm buster with buhner herbs. I would say in 3-4 months her anger and other abusive behavior have decreased by 75%. Its amazing to see. I also think she has complex ptsd from so much medical trauma but that can be addressed with therapy once the infections are resolved. Right Before she was diagnosed with Lyme she was labeled as borderline and we were looking into residential psych centers too.
I really feel that the girl you are seeing now is NOT your real daughter this is your daughter with brain infections. Don't give up clear these infections!!

Until a few weeks ago, our 22 yr old daughter was experiencing terrible mood swings and was very hostile at times, almost out of control. The attacks would pass, but return daily.

Our LLMD feels these "attacks" are brought on by seizures, and prescribed Lamictal, an anti seizure medication. She's doing much better. He says he uses it routinely with many of his Lyme patients, and that it protects the brain.

It is not an antidepressant or an anti anxiety med, but it does have that affect as it reinforces a persons natural neural pathways, which are interrupted and scrambled by debris from the Lyme organisms.

She is relieved to be taking it as she feels so much better. Still issues, but the attacks and outbursts have stopped and she's more her old self. Lamictal has to be increased slowly, so I anticipate she'll be even better in a few weeks.

B99 said...
Until a few weeks ago, our 22 yr old daughter was experiencing terrible mood swings and was very hostile at times, almost out of control. The attacks would pass, but return daily.

Our LLMD feels these "attacks" are brought on by seizures, and prescribed Lamictal, an anti seizure medication. She's doing much better. He says he uses it routinely with many of his Lyme patients, and that it protects the brain.

It is not an antidepressant or an anti anxiety med, but it does have that affect as it reinforces a persons natural neural pathways, which are interrupted and scrambled by debris from the Lyme organisms.

She is relieved to be taking it as she feels so much better. Still issues, but the attacks and outbursts have stopped and she's more her old self. Lamictal has to be increased slowly, so I anticipate she'll be even better in a few weeks.

Hi B99!
Welcome to our community! I'm so glad you found us.

Although you are not "new" to Lyme, I would still encourage you to take a look through our "New to Lyme?" thread as it's packed full of all kinds of information that we would like to make sure you are aware of.

Thats so interesting B99 because Lamictal was one of the meds used with my sister and it didnt help at all it made her feel worse. I guess thats why it is good to have an llmd at hand, they can tell when its a seizure, inflammation, etc.
If you do a SPECT scan RMTC you may be able to see whats malfunctioning in your daughters brain and if those areas are associated with emotional and behavioral problems. Unrelated but we did a EEG of my twins brain a year ago before we knew she had lyme and her entire frontal lobe was not firing properly according to the neurologist, which is interesting because that is one of the main areas that supposedly Lyme impacts in the brain (a Dr. S had it on his website. I cannot remember the doctor, hes one of the ones that Yolanda Hadid has seen is all I remember. :().

Traveler-You are welcome!!! I love that book cause it explains my sisters symptoms to the T as she has the bart/mycoplasma combo.

Huddie the same happened to me. I also went to a very accelerated high school. I was at a university with a full scholarship which I lost and had to drop out of cause of the Lyme. But we will get there!!!!

To RMTC40, there is a lyme psychiatrist in NJ. His name is Robert B. (sorry can't put his full name here) in Red Bank, NJ. No, I have not seen him. I see Dr. s in Howell, NJ.

I'm 20 years old. I first started getting symptoms age 9 and didn't get treatment till age 16. I understand that most of you are older and are parents yourself but you have no idea how hard it is for us. To watch everyone around you grow up healthy and doing things you used to do. It's hard wanting to work to buy all these darn supplements but barely having the energy to work and go to school. Let alone have to worry about the actual symptoms.

I go to Rutgers U., a party school, and i can't even drink because I'm on antibiotics and Candida will flare up. Try telling 20 year olds that you don't have anything planned for your 21st bday because you'll probably still be on treatment and can't drink.

I had dark years, darker than most teens. Its hard being so young but waking up with eye pain and sore feet for "no reason". Yes I was angry, I was furious. I still am. And yes I blame(d) my parents since it was ME who found out I had Lyme (my parents aren't good with computers and thats how i found out). It still pisses me off to this day why i had to stay sick for so long without treatment because of clueless doctors and parents (no offense). Yes I probably need therapy, but honestly whatever. I have a degree to finish and bartonella to get rid of first.

Although I do have to admit your daughter stealing might either be her being a rough teen, lyme symptoms or she could honestly just have a problem with stealing.

Jennie,

Thank you. I'm getting my son to the LLMD soon I hope. It takes a while for the appt. They can see him tomorrow but he will have to miss school. I may email you because I'm curious if you had to take time off or you could still go to school. This is his first year of HS. Last night he told me he had bad headaches and felt hot inside. Headache was in front of head and at base of skull :(

Thanks for sharing your story.

Thats crazy travel? What parts of your body were worst?
Btw RMC look into complex ptsd. A lot of people who battled severe illness for years end up getting it. The olympic snowboarder angeli vanlaanen even though she fully recovered and went on to compete at sochi she revealed that she did have to go to therapy because the illness process was traumatic enough that she got ptsd. Look into emdr thats what horowitz and others recommend for it.

Yes. She is Angeli Van Laanen she was a skier actually then she got lyme and had to take a three year break for treatment. She went back and did well enough to compete in the sochi olympics i think she has been in remission for four years now? She has a fb with a lot of lyme advocacy and she did a short documentary with lymelight. I think she just did antibiotics and iv antibiotics.

EMDR is one of two therapist recommended by the American Psychological Association for PTSD. It is a very unique therapy pretty new and basically it involves going back through traumatizing memories and healing them.

Yes! Im sorry huddie i feel like you asked me questions that I forgot to answer. The lyme makes my memory so foggy.
Well to be honest with my regular symptoms i could totally go to school but it was the herxing that made me have to take the semester off. Everyone is different.
Also yolanda hadid is a celebrity, like a reality tv housewife and former model who has lyme, she made a lot of improvements seeing Dr. K.
Awww THATS AWESOME!!!! You guys should watch her documentary!!!!! What are your sons symptoms??? There is footage in her documentary of her getting brain fog during her skiing and crashing to the ground. You see her first time seeing again im recovery she cries of joy its so sweet. She had it for more than a decade though before diagnosis.

I am not sure. Ive just heard dr. Mcfazdean and horowitz say thats what they use for lyme trauma emdr specifically. No problem honey