How Does Having Lyme Disease Affect Your Relationships?

Lyme disease is an infectious illness that is diagnosed in 476,000 Americans every year. This disease is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi and is usually spread through deer ticks.

Common symptoms of the disease include a flat, circular rash, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, fever, difficulty concentrating, joint pain, and swollen lymph nodes.

While Lyme disease can be successfully treated with antibiotics, some people continue to experience symptoms of the disease. This is also known as post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome, and about 5%-20% of patients with Lyme disease will get this syndrome.

Besides inducing debilitating symptoms, Lyme disease can also impact your relationships and quality of life. We will talk about how Lyme disease affects your relationships,⁠ as well as what you can do about it.
 

Doubt

Lyme disease has a very complicated nature. According to experts who specialize in treating the illness, Lyme disease has a ton of different strains. In some, it may manifest as headaches, while in others, it may manifest as joint pain.

Because none of the symptoms of the disease are specific to it and no test is 100% accurate, there can be a delay and misrepresentation in diagnosis.

Considering this, your loved ones may be prone to having a doubt about the duration of your symptoms and illness. This, in turn, can greatly impact the relationship you have with your loved ones and may make you feel as if your illness is invalid.
 

Feeling of isolation

Some people who suffer from Lyme disease may isolate themselves to prevent other people from invalidating their feelings and to not burden their loved ones. This can further degrade the already precarious state of their mental health, as Lyme disease is known to cause neurological and psychiatric conditions.

In addition, some symptoms of Lyme disease can be physically debilitating and prevent you from being able to physically interact with your loved ones. Not being able to overcome your feeling of isolation can put a huge strain on your social life, render you unable to enjoy the company of your loved ones, and even decrease your treatment options.
 

Seeking treatment to stop Lyme disease from taking over your relationships

To reduce the impact of Lyme disease on your relationships, it's important that you communicate your symptoms and feelings clearly to your loved ones. Thankfully, advances in medical science are now revealing more effective ways of diagnosing and treating the disease.

In fact, a recent study showed that treatment with cefotaxime and azlocillin can soon replace tetracycline antibiotics and reduce a patient’s chances of developing post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome. These new treatments could soon be widely available in hospitals and medical practices.

Healthcare administrators, who are hospital or nursing home directors, will be able to keep you updated on whether their practice offers these new treatments and provide advice on current treatments. Together, you can work with your doctors and loved ones to tackle this disease and prevent it from taking over your relationships. Besides seeking validation from medical professionals, it can also be helpful to work with a relationship counselor, especially if you feel like your relationships are hanging on a thin thread. These experts can help you better communicate your ordeal and guide your loved ones on how to become a solid and reliable support system.

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