May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month and Mental Health Awareness Month. These modalities are inextricably linked because there is now a mental health crisis among those with tick-borne diseases.
During the recent legislative session, the HB 490 amendment addressed the need for updated physician, patient and public education. Testimonies by members of the Legislature and the public, myself included, discussed concerns that this state’s health-care system and media are continuing to tell the public outdated protocols, and doctors often give patients a false sense of security about Lyme disease if a tick hasn’t been attached for at least 36-72 hours.
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