Seeing a therapist

I was wondering if anyone could offer any advice on conveying what Lyme is like to a therapist/counselor quickly and effectively. I have decided to try talking to someone as I can't seem to get the mind thing under control. Even more difficult to explain is that Lyme has many mental health type symptoms.

That's a very tricky issue, bc in my mind, at least, that person will need to understand chronic Lyme.

I tried finding a therapist once, and didn't have much success. First, every therapist I went to refused to see me as a patient.

Then, I found someone who would take me, and his understanding was that Lyme was kind of like Fibromyalgia.

But essentially, he didn't really get it or understand it; not his fault--I run into this situation with doctors all the time (they have an idea about chronic Lyme, or they think they know, but they really don't).

Most therapists and doctors just can't fathom how bad chronic Lyme can really be.

I gave up on him, bc, even though he was nice, he seemed really clueless. I don't know if the pamphlet would have helped.

I finally found someone who really seems to understand Lyme; she gets that you can be a completely different person post Lyme. That's unusual though.

The problem is: She's a friend of a friend's so that's out.

Margaret

When i went back to the UK at christmas I actually went to see a clinical psychiatrist (even I had decided I had gone bonkers). He is a friend of a friend, so nothing 'official'.

I talked to him for about half an hour and his opinion was - you're not mad, but I think you may have Lyme' ( I hadn't mentioned this to him). Apparently his registrar had had Lyme some years ago and had had to take sick leave for over a year. He couldn't actually treat me unfortunately, but still, interesting.

Some times you can get pleasantly suprised??

I saw a counsellor before I was diagnosed - I didn't know what the heck was wrong with me...and I would go and talk to her...and it really helped. Sometimes I cried as soon as I walked in the door. It was such a release for me.

It gave me an outlet - to take some of the burden off of my husband.

She gave me some exercises to do to help with my anxiety, bouts of crying, etc. It didn't help too much, but I did really look forward to seeing her each week.