[lymeguy]

Psych problems are the result of Lyme disease in many instances. Most people don't associate Lyme disease with mental problems, but I can attest to you that it can and does cause them. Just throwing this out there for everyone.

[ECHOES]

Would a person know if they were bitten by a tick? I used to know more about lyme disease, but I've forgotten.

Care to share more of your own experience with lyme disease?

[Perna]

No, Echoes, that's part of the problem; if you don't have the physical symptoms that take you to the doctor or you ignore them until they "go away", they can progress and you can end up with psychiatric symptoms:

Lyme and Tick-Borne Diseases Research Center (Columbia University)

I don't live/play in wooded areas and usually ticks stay on one for awhile (going walking in the woods, for example, it will take the tick quite awhile before it's full and drops off you; one is supposed to check one's self/children/pets, etc. after being outdoors in a tick environment) and have not had any physical symptoms like those that go with being bitten in the last 7 years I've lived here, so do not feel the need to be checked :

http://www.cdc.gov/lyme/stats/maps/interactiveMaps.html

[Fresia]

The other thing to remember is that for those in climates that burn wood and store some firewood indoors ready to burn, ticks can come into the home this way too even in the winter. Keep checking yourself for them even during the winter if bringing firewood/logs in. The same checking for us also goes for our pets with firewood around; consider year round tick prevention for them if so.

A family member went undiagnosed with lyme for years and was treated for MH only. I still thank the one nurse who happen to mention this to her one day about being tested.

[Travelinglady]

Thanks for sharing this info!

[-jimi-]

I'm allergic to ticks so I can pull them out as soon as they bite. I will not miss it because I get super itchy. Maybe that is how I avoided Lyme (if I did). I get many, many tick bites during the tick season. Both my folks got Lyme from where I'm roaming. I have seen other people's struggle to be diagnosed because where I live, Lyme is not taken seriously. If you test negative once they dismiss you even with symptoms. I kind of don't know if I would even notice symptoms since I have dizziness, fatigue and aches with my Lupus. I've never asked to be tested since docs here think Lyme is made up by annoying patients.

[avlady]

We have deer that roam in our front and back yards, as our home is next to a wooded area. Deer carry ticks.