"Post-Treatment" Chronic Lyme Disease-- Real vs "Phenomenon" Controversy

Hey everyone.

So, since I'm very new to the whole lyme disease thing, I've been trying to (despite brain fog) read through some peer-reviewed academic articles on the disease and treatments (perk of being college student is the free access to database articles, wheeee).

I'm a bit surprised at the controversy behind whether chronic lyme disease is "real" or not. There's one article that details how PTCLD (post treatment chronic lyme disease) is not from infection and is not inflammatory. There are many others that somewhat back this claim by saying it's a "phenomenon" of which they don't understand why it happens. Transitioning from that, I find it interesting how one article noted that the PTCLD patients that they concluded as not having the lyme infection any longer strangely still had a lower quality of life and arthritic symptoms, yet weren't of raised anxiety, depression or any measure hypochondriac. Then there are articles that say PTCLD is absolutely a thing.

Even more interestingly, there are also articles about chronic/late stage lyme disease which mentioned that, apparently, the antibiotic treatment isn't actually based on evidence, and is simply considered "good practice". Not that that's overly surprising to me, given that they've only recognized lyme disease since 1975.

So, I just wanted to hear what all of your opinions were on this! I, for one, think it's a bit ridiculous that so many doctors dismiss the possibility of PTCLD. Especially given how ineffective testing for it can be. But, what do you all think? Do you think the infection remains? Do you think it leaves and perhaps there's just damage that remains to the body that still has to be repaired? Do you think it's some kind of phenomenon or psychological thing that continues it?

I've been trying to figure out if I want to try and ask for antibiotic treatment or not. I think I'm still leaning more towards natural treatment, especially considering I'll have to be on antibiotics soon for dental surgery anyway. These articles talking about antibiotic treatment aren't really making me want antibiotic treatment.

I agree that politics definitely must influence the wide array of views in some way. That being said, the whole it being more newly recognized with "modern" medicine is going to lead to doctors having vastly differing opinions and research from their point still being in rather young stages.
Where do you stand on it? I've read from people on here that despite treatment they can still find the lyme bacteria in the body, so that's mainly whats inclining me to believe that the bacteria infection itself sticks around. Not like it wouldn't be the first disease to do that!
But I imagine there's probably a bit of both, people who have the bacteria and those who maybe don't have the bacteria but have the damage from it that's still being repaired for a long while afterwards.