(Sausalito, CA)- Lyme disease is linked to two recent major headlines: a church shooting in Illinois that left a pastor dead and, weeks prior, a brutal chimpanzee attack in Connecticut. In both cases, the attackers-human and animal-are reported to have suffered from the controversial tick-borne illness.
While the vast majority of Lyme disease patients are not violent, psychiatrists who specialize in treating the illness say there is a link between Lyme and aggressive behavior in a minority of long-term sufferers.
The acclaimed documentary, UNDER OUR SKIN, casts a needed spotlight on the disease. The film meticulously documents how Lyme is destroying countless lives of patients and their families, while the established medical community turns a blind eye.
As yet, there is no official confirmation that Lyme triggered the violent acts. But Lyme patients and experts are all too familiar with the cognitive and psychological effects of the disease. “I have met many patients, who suffered severe psychological effects of Lyme disease, including violent outbursts”, says Andy Abrahams Wilson, director of UNDER OUR SKIN. “Patients even have a name for it: Lyme rage. Yet the public thinks Lyme is a simple illness that can be easily cured with antibiotics. They have no idea of the physical, psychological and social toll it takes.”
The bacteria that cause Lyme disease can attack every major organ, including the brain, and often is misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder, depression, multiple sclerosis, ALS, even Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. As Lyme progresses, it can attack the nervous system, producing learning disabilities, mood swings, anxiety, depression, panic attacks and even psychosis. Studies in the past have shown that psychiatric in-patients are nearly twice as likely to test positive for Lyme.
UNDER OUR SKIN filmmaker Andy Abrahams Wilson followed Lyme patients for more than four years through their journeys of diagnosis and treatment. His film also investigates why the established medical community refuses treat Lyme disease aggressively and why the doctors who do fear losing their medical licenses.
If you would like to interview Andy Abrahams Wilson, any experts or any patients who have suffered the devastating mental or physical health complications of Lyme in this acclaimed new documentary please contact Marc Silverstein at (410) 963- 2345 or marc@onthemarcmedia.com