Over the past decade or so, the divorce rate has been increasing, and in some areas quite rapidly at that.  This is an unfortunate stat and statistic but a very real one, so why is the divorce rate reaching such a high level?

The recession

At present, the economy is suffering because of the impact of the recession from COVID-19, and this can cause a lot of financial strain on individuals. If finances are running low, people become stressed and worried and this can cause a lot of arguments with the blame being shifted from one individual to another. This can lead to cracks in a relationship and result in the unfortunate occurrence of a divorce.  

More lenient divorce laws

The rules and laws concerning separation and divorce are much more tolerant than they once were, which means that getting divorced is much easier. Years ago those who desired to get separated had to have a legitimate purpose for requiring this, for instance, cheating or abuse, however, nowadays all states in America have adopted a no-fault divorce law, meaning you do not need a reason to separate from your partner via law. 

More independent women

In the past there was a distinct role between men and women; men were the breadwinners and women stayed at home and looked after the house and children. Nowadays that notion has been well and truly challenged and many women are the main breadwinners in the house. This can lead to added conflict and result in many arguments and possibly divorce.

Less traditional views

In the past, people tended to stay together because of concern they could be looked down on and even ignored. Nevertheless, now society is much more accepting of people who divorce and do not see it as a type of problem. With countless family members and friends being supportive of divorce, most couples know that if the worst happens, a comprehensive support system will surround them. Plus, empathic professional support is available from the likes of Brown & Dahan, LLP and others. 

Media celebrating divorce

Another reason is that divorce is so present in our everyday lives because of the media. Every day you see a different celebrity having marriage problems or going through a divorce e.g. Jennifer Lopez and Jennifer Anniston. This has an impact on individuals as they read this information and so they see divorce thru a different lens. If their favorite star can go through a divorce and be an independent woman, why can’t they? Divorce can often be glamorized by the media rather than frowned upon, if celebrities don’t see divorce as such a big deal we should we?

This is a collaborative post.

In Health,

Melinda

Many people with Lyme disease are incorrectly diagnosed as having fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome. In my Seattle practice, before I became a Lyme disease physician, my main focus was treating fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. In 2004 one of my patients asked for Lyme disease testing. Her pcr test for Lyme came back positive. This got me thinking that others in my practice could have Lyme disease too. So I tested everyone in my practice for Lyme that had a diagnosis of fibromyalgia and/or chronic fatigue syndrome. I discovered that 30 percent of my patients actually had Lyme disease causing their problems.

To listen to video https://www.treatlyme.net/guide/lyme-fibromyalgia-chronic-fatigue-syndrome

Disease Semantics and Naming

Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia are diagnosed when no other cause of fatigue or muscle achiness can be found. They are both a diagnosis of exclusion. This means we exclude any other causes of these problems.

If someone actually has Lyme disease causing muscle pains or fatigue, then it is no longer correct to say they have fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome. They actually have Lyme disease causing muscle aches or severe fatigue and all the other symptoms associated with these two diagnoses.

Patient Beware

Be aware the current trend in medicine is to label fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue associated with an infection as post-infection chronic fatigue syndrome or post-infection fibromyalgia. Physicians use this term to imply that an initial infection triggered the health problem – but the infection is no longer active and causing the problem.

While this can be true with many infections, Lyme disease infection can persist and lead to ongoing health problems. Thus, it is wrong to call people with active Lyme infection as having post-infection chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia. They actually may have an active infection leading to health problems. These patients actually have chronic Lyme disease.

How to Tell You Have Chronic Lyme Disease

First, you should know 50 percent of people with chronic Lyme do not remember a tick bite. And at least 30 percent of people do not remember the classic bullseye rash. So it is very important to get proper testing.

But testing is extremely complicated. The standard way most physicians test for Lyme is to perform a two-step test method involving an elisa test. If the elisa is positive, then another test called a western blot is performed to determine if the elisa is correct. But here is the problem, studies show that nearly 50 percent of elisa testing will miss Lyme disease when someone has it.

In my practice, I use a test by IGenex called the Immunoblot. This test looks to see if a person has antibodies against eight kinds of Lyme bacteria. According to IGenex validation studies, this method can find Lyme when it is present 95 percent of the time. For more information about Lyme testing and this specific method read A Review of Lyme Infection Tests: Pass or Fail.

Making a diagnosis of Lyme disease is complicated. It is possible to diagnose Lyme disease, even when testing is negative. For more information about how to diagnose Lyme disease especially when testing is negative see How to Diagnose Chronic Lyme Disease, More Than A Test.

A Few Words About Lyme Disease Treatment

If you discover you have Lyme instead of fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome this means you have a great chance to improve your health. As you consider your treatment options, be aware recovering from Lyme requires more than antibiotics. To recover most people have to address additional imbalances and health assaults that contribute to the illness. For a list of possible things you should address see What is Lyme Disease? A Mess of Things. In The Ross Lyme Support Protocol, I lay out a full treatment approach that addresses the most important issues to improve your health.

Disclaimer

The ideas and recommendations on this website and in this article are for informational purposes only. For more information about this, see the sitewide Terms & Conditions.

I am offering FREE 20 minute sessions to coach your toughest challenges surrounding any type of change you would like to make in your life but have found it too hard to accomplish on your own.

Free 20 minute Health and Wellness Coaching Session — Chronic Pain with a Higher Perspective

Hi! Welcome to my blog! I assume that since you are here, you know somebody with a chronic illness and want to learn how to be there for them, or, maybe you have a chronic illness and you are looking for an article to send to somebody close to you, so they are able to […]

9 Simple Ways To Support Somebody With Chronic Illness — Kiara Is Growing

By BILL MADDEN NEW YORK DAILY NEWS |SEP 02, 2020 AT 8:09 PM

The long goodbye has ended. The Mets’ “Franchise” is gone.

Tom Seaver, the greatest of all Mets who dropped out of public life in March of 2019 after being diagnosed with dementia died early Monday. According to family sources, Seaver, 75, died peacefully at his home in Calistoga, Calif., from complications from Lyme disease, dementia and COVID-19.

He leaves behind 311 victories, 3,640 career strikeouts, three Cy Young Awards and countless millions New York baseball fans who forever cherish the memories of the Miracle Mets 1969 championship season and his starring role in it.

“We are heartbroken to share that our beloved husband and father has passed away,” said his wife Nancy Seaver and daughters Sarah and Anne in a statement to the Baseball Hall of Fame. “We send our love out to his fans, as we mourn his loss with you.”

In the annals of baseball there will never be a more improbable World Series champion than the ’69 Mets, who had never had a winning season since their inception in 1962. Seaver was the catalyst, the ace of a young and talented pitching staff that included Jerry Koosman, Nolan Ryan and Gary Gentry, who all blossomed together. Leading the league with 25 wins en route to his first Cy Young Award, Seaver hurled eight consecutive complete game victories from Aug. 31-Sept. 27 as the Mets rallied from as far back as 10 games behind on Aug. 13 to chase down Leo Durocher’s Cubs. The pivotal series which broke the slumping Cubs’ back was Sept. 8-9 at Shea Stadium in which Koosman out-pitched Chicago’s Bill Hands, 3-2 with a 13-strikeout effort in the first game, and Seaver, backed by homers from Donn Clendenon and Art Shamsky, triumphed over fellow future Hall of Famer, Ferguson Jenkins, in the second game to bring the Mets to one-half game of first place. They went into first place by sweeping a doubleheader from the Expos the next night and never relinquished it.

RELATED GALLERY

(ASSOCIATED PRESS) 1 / 41

Remembering the Hall of Fame career of Mets pitcher Tom Seaver

Earlier that season, on July 9 against the Cubs, Seaver pitched what he called the “greatest game of my career” in an emotionally-charged night at Shea when he took a perfect game into the ninth inning only to lose it on a one-out looping single to left-center field by unsung reserve outfielder, Jimmy Qualls. Seaver took two other no-hitters into the ninth inning in his career before finally succeeding, June 16, 1978, against the Cardinals while a member of the Reds.

“A no-hitter is momentary,” he said afterward. “You enjoy the moment. But nothing can ever compare to winning a World Series.”What Jerry Koosman and Tom Seaver did 50 years ago is unimaginable today »

After sweeping the Atlanta Braves, 3-0, in the ’69 National League Championship Series, the Mets completed their miracle season by upsetting the Orioles of Frank and Brooks Robinson, Jim Palmer and Boog Powell, who’d led the majors with 109 wins, in the World Series. After giving up a game-opening homer to the Orioles’ Don Buford, Seaver was out-pitched by Mike Cuellar in Game 1, but redeemed himself mightily by holding the Orioles to one run in a 10-inning complete game victory in Game 4. The next day, Koosman hurled another complete game to clinch the Series.

It was sometime during the ’69 season that Jack Lang, the Met beat writer for the Long Island Press, began referring to Seaver as “Tom Terrific” in his game stories — a moniker that stuck for the rest of his career and beyond.

But there was so much more to the Seaver lore beyond the ’69 championship season, beginning in 1966 when he became an accidental Met. After growing up in Fresno, Calif., and graduating from high school, he got no college scholarship offers because he was too small. Instead, he decided to enroll in the Marine Corps reserves whereupon, in six months, he grew from 5-9, 160-pounds to 6-1, 210. Suddenly, he was a prospect, and in 1965 earned a scholarship to USC under the legendary coach Rod Dedeaux, and was 10-2 with 100 strikeouts in 100 innings.

The following January he was drafted by the Braves, the favorite team of his youth because of Hank Aaron, who he idolized. But after agreeing to a contract for $40,000, plus an additional $11,500 to complete his college education, Seaver suddenly found himself in no-man’s land. It seemed USC had already begun their new season when Seaver signed the contract, a violation of major league rules. Thus, the contract had to be voided, but at the same time, Seaver was now also ineligible to return to school. After his father, Charles, a world class amateur golfer who was a member of the 1932 Walker Cup team, threatened to sue baseball, Commissioner William Eckert resolved the issue by setting up a lottery in which any teams willing to match the Braves’ offer could participate for Seaver’s services. Only three teams, the Indians, Phillies and Mets, stepped forward and Eckert picked the Mets out of a hat.

Seaver spent only one year of minor league apprenticeship, earning a spot in the Mets rotation in 1967 where he proceeded to win National League Rookie of the Year honors with a 16-13 record and 2.76 ERA. When Gil Hodges took over as Mets manager in 1968, Seaver called it a transformational event in his career. He immediately bonded with the former standout Dodger first baseman and ex-Marine, and later said Hodges was the most influential person in his life after his father.

If there was one thing Seaver made clear when he joined the Mets it was that he wanted nothing to do with the “lovable losers” image they’d acquired ever since setting the major league record of 120 losses in 1962. When he beat the Dodgers, 5-2, June 3, 1969, to lift the Mets over .500 for the first time in their history, he seethed at a reporter’s question about it being worthy of a champagne celebration. “Champagne?” he snapped. “Five-hundred is nothing to celebrate. It’s mediocrity. Maybe Marv Throneberry and Rod Kanehl (two of the legendary inept ’62 Mets) will celebrate. But I had nothing to do with that. The only time for champagne is when we win a World Series.”

Beginning in 1968, Seaver set a slew of strikeout records. On April 22, 1970, he tied the major league record by striking out 19 San Diego Padres in one game, including another record 10 strikeouts in a row to finish it. From 1968-76, he set the all-time record of nine consecutive 200-strikeout seasons. His career total of 3,640 ranks sixth on the all-time list; his 61 shutouts tied for seventh with Ryan.

In 1970 and ’71, Seaver led the NL in both ERA (2.81 and 1.76) and strikeouts (283 and 289) but did not win the Cy Young Award. It wasn’t until 1973, when he led the Mets to their second World Series, with a 19-10 record and league leading 2.08 ERA, 18 complete games, 251 strikeouts and 0.976 WHIP, that he became the first pitcher to win the Cy Young without winning 20 games. He won his third and final Cy Young in 1975, leading the NL in wins (22-9) and strikeouts (243). But the following year, with the dawning of free agency in baseball, trouble with Mets upper management developed.

As the Mets’ union representative, Seaver had worked hard to bring about a new system in baseball eliminating the reserve clause that had essentially bound players to their teams for life, and in that role incurred the enmity of Mets board chairman M. Donald Grant, who at one point during labor negotiations confronted him in the clubhouse and said: “What are you, a Communist?” At the end of the ’76 season, the two became embroiled in an increasingly nasty contract dispute, with Grant enlisting the support of the Daily News’ powerful sports columnist, Dick Young, to write a series of columns highly critical of Seaver. “Tom Tewwific is a pouting, griping, morale-breaking clubhouse lawyer, poisoning the team,” Young wrote in launching his offensive.

Despite being highly critical of Grant’s refusal to engage in the bidding for any of the premium free agents, Seaver made it clear to Mets owner Lorinda de Roulet he did not want to leave the Mets, and agreed to a three-year contract, with a base salary of $325,000 through 1978. But right before the June 15, 1977 trading deadline. Seaver became enraged with a column by Young that brought his wife, Nancy, into the fray: “Nolan Ryan is getting more now than Seaver, and that galls Tom because he Nancy Seaver and Ruth Ryan are very friendly and Tom Seaver has long treated Nolan Ryan like a little brother.”

That was it. Seaver called Mets GM Joe McDonald, screaming “get me out of here” and the next day, in what was dubbed the “Midnight Massacre”, Grant traded Seaver to the Reds for four players, pitcher Pat Zachry, second baseman Doug Flynn, and outfielders Steve Henderson and Dan Norman. Later that night he traded the Mets top slugger, Dave Kingman, to the Padres for Bobby Valentine.Mets’ Midnight Massacre trade of Tom Seaver still painfully unforgettable 40 years later »

In the New York newspapers of June 16, Grant and Young were universally pilloried for driving Seaver out of town, none more so than Young’s own Daily News in which columnist Pete Hamill wrote: “There is, of course, no way to discuss the departure of Tom Seaver without discussing the role of Dick Young. Nothing is more squalid than a quarrel between writers and I have too much respect for Young’s talents to want to pick a fight with him. But for almost two years Young has been functioning as a hit man for Mets management and in that role he helped drive a great ballplayer out of town, helped demoralize younger men and worst of all has demeaned his own talents.”

Seaver went on to win 75 more games for the Reds from 1977-81, but after a bout with shoulder tendinitis in 1980 landed him on the disabled list for a month for the first time in his career, he was no longer a pure power pitcher. He was, however, still acknowledged as the smartest pitcher in the game. In the 1981 “split season” that was interrupted by a 50-day players strike, he led the NL in wins (14-2) while striking out only 87 batters in 166 1/3 innings.

It was ironically the element that ultimately settled the ’81 strike (which he helped negotiate) — indirect compensation to teams that lost free agents in the form of a pool of unprotected players — that led to Seaver’s second departure from the Mets three years later. Following an injury-plagued 5-13 season in ’82, it was agreed by Seaver and the Reds that they should part ways and a trade was worked out that sent him back home to the Mets for a second-line starting pitcher, Charlie Puleo.

It was, however, a terrible (68-94) Mets team Seaver rejoined in ’83, and though he was able to log over 200 innings for the first time since ’79, he had his second straight (9-14) losing record. Disappointing as that had been, it was nothing compared to the shock he incurred the following January when he was selected by the White Sox out of the free agent compensation pool after the Mets had incomprehensibly left him off their protected list. In taking full blame for the blunder, Mets GM Frank Cashen said he didn’t think the White Sox would take a 40-year-old pitcher, especially one like Seaver who was acknowledged to be a New York icon and the Mets’ “franchise” player.

Seaver won 15 games in 1984 for the White Sox including two in one day, May 9, when he was called upon to pitch the final inning of an eight-hour game that had been suspended from the night before, and then pitched 8 1/3 innings in his own scheduled start. The following year, he won 16 games for the White Sox. None of them were more notable, however, than August 4 against the Yankees when he upstaged Phil Rizzuto on his “day” at Yankee Stadium with his 300th career victory — a six-hit, seven strikeout complete game with the appropriate score of 4-1, his career uniform number.

By then, Seaver had grown homesick and longed to go back to New York so he could spend more time with his wife and two daughters. After first engaging with George Steinbenner to no avail on a trade with the Yankees, White Sox general manager “Hawk” Harrelson was able to satisfy Seaver by sending him to the Red Sox, June 29, 1986, for infielder Steve Lyons. It was an injury-plagued 7-13 ’86 season for Seaver, however, and a knee issue consigned him to being spectator in the World Series against his old team, the Mets, when the Red Sox left him off their postseason roster.Tom Terrific’s decorated major league journey began 53 years ago today »

In May of ’87, at Cashen’s request, Seaver attempted a comeback with the Mets, hoping to end his career where it started, but it was not to be. After spending a couple of weeks trying to work his way back with the Mets’ Triple-A Norfolk team, Seaver concluded that he was regressing rather than progressing, and on June 22, 1987, announced his retirement at Shea Stadium. “I would have loved to help this team win another world championship,” he said, “but there are no more pitches in this 42-year-old arm. I’ve used them all up.” A year later, the Mets retired his No. 41, and his list of Met records — wins (198), complete games (171), shutouts (44), starts (395), innings (3,045), strikeouts (2,541) and ERA (2.57) — will likely stand forever.

In his post-playing career Seaver worked as an analyst in the WPIX Yankee broadcast booth from 1989-93 and later did the same with the Mets from 1999-2005, In 1992, he was elected to the Hall of Fame with the highest percentage (98.8%) ever to that time. “There were very few times in my career when I was speechless, but the magnitude that goes with the Hall of Fame and the numbers…I’m at a total disbelief at that percentage,” he said.

But as he later told intimates, broadcasting just wasn’t satisfying enough for him. He needed a new challenge and, in 1998, he told Nancy he wanted to move from their longtime home in Greenwich, Conn., to California and make wine. He purchased 115 acres of dense brush on the top of Diamond Mountain in Calistoga and created a vineyard where he produced cabernet sauvignon. In 2008, his GTS (for George Thomas Seaver) cabernet was accorded a 97 rating by the Wine Spectator.

Sadly, he was unable to fully enjoy his successful second career and new life as a California winemaker. Sometime around 2010-2011 he began having memory issues, mood swings and occasional flu-like symptoms. Fearing he’d had a stroke or was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, he did nothing about it. It wasn’t until one day in 2012 when he couldn’t remember the name of his head vineyard worker that Nancy insisted he see a doctor.

In March of 2013 Seaver revealed to the Daily News that he was suffering from a recurrence of the Lyme disease, which he first contracted in 1991 working in his garden in Greenwich. Because he had taken so long to get it diagnosed, doctors told him the damage to his brain was irreversible and his memory loss would likely gradually get worse. In October of 2018, he shut off communication with his friends. The following March the Hall of Fame put out a statement that Seaver was suffering from dementia. He is survived by his wife, Nancy, and two daughters, Sarah and Anne.

If your only choice is seeing a General Practitioner for chronic or mental illness, you will have to take on the additional responsibility to make sure you’re getting the best healthcare. What you can’t expect is a General Practitioner to be a one-stop shop, they have 15 minutes per patient and treat the most common illnesses. Once your 15 minutes is up, you have to save questions for the next appointment. And while it may be particularly frustrating to have to leave, it can help you to get into the right mindset for research.

We’re not talking about Dr Google here (which can be a very dangerous rabbit hole to go down), but there can be changes in lifestyle and pain management that may work. It’s not a one size fits all approach, but there are remedies like CBD cream that could work (the https://www.health.com/condition/pain/best-cbd-cream-for-pain is a handy resource) or it could be about focusing on mindfulness or more natural techniques like embracing the cold, as has been popularized by people like Wim Hof in recent years. But these approaches shouldn’t replace the help a General Practitioner can provide, just as long as you go into each appointment prepared.    

If seeing a General Practitioner for all your chronic illnesses, go into each meeting expecting three questions to get answered, if the conversation doesn’t go off track. Go prepared with questions, concerns or medicine issues but don’t expect more than 15 minutes unless your insurance company allows 30-minute appointments. I schedule 30 minutes with my GP on each visit, that lowers my stress level and allows us to talk more in-depth if needed.

This is a collaborative post.

Melinda

Dr. Eva Sapi sent us her team’s new study that was partially funded by Lyme Warrior! In the past, solutions to Lyme disease have been limited partially because we cannot see or understand how biofilms react to treatment. Sapi’s team has uncovered a way to study the effect of ALL treatment methods on biofilms to help patients truly eliminate Lyme disease. This study will allow researchers across the globe to better understand Lyme disease, biofilms, and how to permanently eradicate this disease for patients.Thank you for your support in making this amazing progress possible!  We cannot wait to see the changes, advancements, and healing for patients this study fuels!Abstract: “Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, has been shown to form biofilm structures. Biofilms are tightly clustered microbes characterized as resistant aggregations that allow bacteria to withstand harsh environmental conditions, including the administration of antibiotics. Novel antibiotic combinations have recently been identified for B. burgdorferi in vitro, however, due to prohibiting costs, those agents have not been tested in an environment that can mimic the host tissue. Therefore, researchers cannot evaluate their true effectiveness against B. burgdorferi, especially its biofilm form. A skin ex vivo model system could be ideal for these types of experiments due to its cost effectiveness, reproducibility, and ability to investigate host–microbial interactions. Therefore, the main goal of this study was the establishment of a novel ex vivo murine skin biopsy model for B. burgdorferi biofilm research. Murine skin biopsies were inoculated with B. burgdorferi at various concentrations and cultured in different culture media. Two weeks post-infection, murine skin biopsies were analyzed utilizing immunohistochemical (IHC), reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR), and various microscopy methods to determine B. burgdorferi presence and forms adopted as well as whether it remained live in the skin tissue explants. Our results showed that murine skin biopsies inoculated with 1 × 107 cells of B. burgdorferi and cultured in BSK-H + 6% rabbit serum media for two weeks yielded not just significant amounts of live B. burgdorferi spirochetes but biofilm forms as well. IHC combined with confocal and atomic force microscopy techniques identified specific biofilm markers and spatial distribution of B. burgdorferi aggregates in the infected skin tissues, confirming that they are indeed biofilms. In the future, this ex vivo skin model can be used to study development and antibiotic susceptibility of B. burgdorferi biofilms in efforts to treat Lyme disease effectively.” Read the full study and past studies here.Download the full study here!If you haven’t yet, check out our LW Throwdown where we are getting wild to help patients in need get access to treatment and send 150 Kid’s Smile Boxes this holiday!Lyme Warrior Throwdown 2020

Copyright © 2020 Lyme Warrior US, All rights reserved.  You subscribed to LW mailing list.  Our mailing address is:  Lyme Warrior US228 Givens Branch TrailNewport, Va  24128 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Matt Walker · Sleep scientist, professor, author

Matt Walker is a brain scientist trying to understand why we sleep.

I’m excited to let you know next month starts Pain Awareness Month. Over the past couple of years, you have seen posts from me for the U.S. Pain Foundation. I’m a Texas Ambassador and do advocacy work for them. While I haven’t been able to physically support my advocacy efforts, I do share important information as it pertains to the pain community or initiatives the U.S. Pain Foundation is involved in, as well as attend advocacy training seminars. 

September marks an exciting and educational month which is recognized as Pain Awareness Month. The goal of the month is to raise awareness for the 50 million Americans who live with chronic pain.

Please check out U.S. Pain Foundation to find resources, support groups, news about Federal advocacy efforts, pediatric programs and support for families, and their magazine Invisible Project and more.

About U.S. Pain Foundation

The mission of the U.S. Pain Foundation is to empower, educate, connect, and advocate for individuals living with chronic illness that causes pain, as well as their caregivers and clinicians. Its programs and services include a national network of support groups, educational resources and events, a pediatric program for children and their families, federal advocacy efforts, an awareness magazine called the INvisible Project, and more. The U.S. Pain Foundation is a 501(3)(c) nonprofit organization. For more information, visit www.uspainfoundation.org.

About Pain Awareness Month

Pain Awareness Month, recognized annually in September, seeks to raise awareness about the need for improved care for the 50 million Americans who live with chronic pain. This year, U.S. Pain Foundation’s theme is #MyPainPlan and focuses on the vital importance of an individualized, multidisciplinary, multimodal approach to pain care. The signature initiative of the month is the MyPainPlan.org site, along with an in-depth survey and white paper about barriers to care and several special educational events. To learn more, visit www.uspainawarenessmonth.org.

Texas Ambassador

Melinda Sandor

Chicago Headache Doctor Brad Torphy, who is the managing director of the Chicago Headache Center & Research Institute, recently discussed the role of caffeine in migraine and headache. During the presentation, which can be viewed on the Chicago Headache Center & Research Institute’s Facebook page, Dr. Torphy shares that caffeine can be beneficial in some […]

Chicago Headache Doctor Brad Torphy Discussed Caffeine and Headache — Chicago Headache Center & Research Institute

Social media platforms, such as Instagram and TikTok, are filled with inspiring images of happy relationships. A quick search reveals some of the most popular hashtags to elevate your relationship to an inspirational love story. All the #CoupleGoals images and videos have a central element in common: Couples have embraced the inclusion of the typical “you” and “me” identities into a new entity: “us”. When you think of a happy and successful relationship, you naturally depict a symbiotic communication where both individuals understand each other perfectly. The symbiosis is often the result of a strong “us”. Couples that can talk about their relationship as a “we” rather than a “me+you” approach have already unlocked one of the biggest secrets behind the Insta-worthy #CoupleGoals photos: Common projects. 

What does a common project say about your couple? Sharing activities, ideas, and values with your other half allow you to build a new entity – the “us” – that can stand strong. Common projects are essential to the strength and survival of your relationship. The more you share, the more you define your couple goals, and the more you allow for an “us” to exist. 

Unsplash – CC0 License 

Turning a house into a home for the two of you

For each couple, a home is a special place where both need to feel happy and safe. Nobody wants to be in a relationship where they feel they only live in their partner’s home. Unfortunately, the situation can present itself naturally. Perhaps, when you met with your current partner, one of you already had a home. Yet, even though one moves in with the other, it doesn’t mean the interior decor should stay the same. On the contrary, seize the opportunity to make a home for both of you. Decorating together can be tricky – there’s no point denying it – especially if you have different tastes. But putting a place together that suits both of you will help create a healthy balance in your couple. You both have a say in the design and conception of a shared home. Think of it as the foundation of your couple. 

Planning your next holiday

Another typical project that should be shared but is often one-sided is your holiday. Planning vacation with your other half is not just the opportunity to get away together and leave everyday routine behind. It’s also the chance to share the excitement and joy of the vacation. Couples who plan their travel together stay together. What does planning together mean? It’s a matter of creating a common purpose, such as deciding about the destination together. As you discuss each location, you can also identify areas that interest you both and areas that one of you would rather avoid. Additionally, you can also create daily itineraries together. Would you prefer a morning on the beach while your partner wants to visit the local zoo? Make sure the day has a little bit of everything. Working together to plan exciting holidays encourages you to compromise to ensure it works for both of you. What’s the point of creating new memories if only one of you has fun? 

Not fearing the future

The future brings a world of uncertainties and questions. But you can face it together as a couple, discussing eventualities and considering how to best face some situations. Admittedly, nobody wants to think about the death of their loved one or their own, but planning the future together already includes that conversation. You can feel reassured about facing the worst-case situation if you’ve already considered your preferred course of action. Knowing that you have planned a pair of standing cemetery headstones, for instance, can remove a lot of the anxiety linked to the unknown. Unfortunately, some things are not preventable, and while you may delay them for as long as possible, there will be a time when one of you will be left behind. Yet planning together can give you more control and protect your sense of togetherness, even in death. 

Improving your mental health day after day

Couples who embark on a self-improvement journey together are more likely to boost each other’s motivation and overall health. Starting a fitness challenge together can help to stick to your workout and encourage each other. More often than not, deciding on health changes together creates a shared dedication to get better. But that doesn’t only mean working out. Simple healthy additions to the home, such as an air purifier or anti-pollution houseplants, can have a bigger impact when both of you are involved in the decision. When both of us stand behind the decision to improve your health, you build a positive environment that supports your motivation. Motivation makes it easy to stay fit! 

Sharing and making your happiness

At the core of a strong and happy “us”, there’s a need for clear, honest, and transparent communication. Secrets shatter a couple’s loyalty. Being open about what you both want and expect from the relationship from the start will ensure you are both walking in the same direction. As silly as it might sound, there’s only so much you can compromise for love. If one of you wants kids, for instance, and the other doesn’t, there will be a point when the relationship can’t grow any further before it doesn’t fulfill your needs. The bottom line? You are in charge of how to build and make your togetherness, and to do that, you need to have all the pieces. 

Making memories together

Marriages – or unmarried long-term relationships – don’t create togetherness through their official or unofficial union. They build togetherness by giving the “us” space to grow. Creating traditions and rituals that work for your couple is the key to making meaningful memories. There is no right or wrong when it comes to your couple’s culture. Most couples build a language that is theirs, referring to shared experiences, or inventing sweet pet names for each other. Ultimately, you write a story that gives life to your relationship. 

In conclusion, joint projects turn the “me + you” into an “us”. While it doesn’t mean that all projects should be together, it is your responsibility in a relationship to give enough space and opportunities for the “us” to grow into its own entity. You don’t have to share absolutely everything, me-time is something you can and should preserve. But sharing enough of the good times let you go through the stormy days safely. 

This is a collaborative post.

Melinda

First Published: 1/2/17
Updated: 8/20/20

There are two kinds of brain fog in Lyme disease. Some people have both forms.

• Type 1 Brain Fog. The first kind is a feeling or sensation of cloudiness or fogginess of the head.
• Type 2 Brain Fog. The second type is a problem with brain function where a person cannot think. People with thinking problems usually have problems with short-term memory, confusion, poor attention, organization, word finding, or concentration.

Type 1 brain fog is caused by a buildup of cytokine inflammation chemicals and another chemical made in brain infections called quinolinic acid. It is also due to a buildup of toxins in the blood from mold or yeast overgrowth in the intestines. While the literature does not describe this type of brain fog or its treatment. I have observed great improvement in Type 1 brain fog by lowering cytokine inflammation chemicals with liposomal curcumin 500 mg 3 times a day, eliminating intestinal yeast, or removing mold toxins. See Step One: Treat Infections or Mold Toxins below for links to articles on this site regarding yeast and mold toxins. Note, fixing Type 2 brain fog also fixes Type 1 brain fog.

In this article I focus primarily on the treatment steps for Type 2 brain fog. Type 2 brain fog has three possible causes

• inflammation caused by infections like Lyme and/or mold toxicity,
• mitochondria cell energy factory dysfunction caused by oxidative stress from infections or direct damage from mold and other toxins, and
• excess histamines due to allergies or Mast Cell Activation Syndrome.

Step One: Decrease Inflammation

Eliminate Infections or Mold Toxins

Determine which infections you have or if you have mold toxicity and treat them to lower inflammation that leads to Type 1 brain fog in Lyme disease.

For information about how to diagnose Lyme, yeast, bartonella, or mold toxin problems see:

• How to Diagnose Chronic Lyme Disease? More Than A Test.
• A Silent Problem. Do You Have Yeast?
• How to Diagnose Bartonella in Chronic Lyme Disease or
• Mold and Lyme Toxin Illness.

For more information about treating Lyme, yeast, bartonella or mold toxicity see:

• The Ross Lyme Support Protocol.
• A Lyme Disease Antibiotic Guide.
• Kills Yeast: A Brief Guide.
• Kills Bartonella: A Brief Guide. or
• Mold and Lyme Toxin Illness.

Lower Inflammation Cytokines and/or Quinolinic Acid

Curcumin is a component of turmeric that lowers both cytokines and quinolinic acid which improves brain fog. Take a liposomal form of curcumin to increase the absorption. Liposomal means that it is microscopically wrapped in fat to increase its absorption.

• Curcumin 500 mg (liposomal) 1 pill 3 times a day.

For more information about cytokines and additional supplements see Control Cytokines: A Guide to Fix Lyme Symptoms & The Immune System. For more information about curcumin see Curcumin.

Step Two: Fix Mitochondria

Mitochondria provide power to cells in the body. This cell power provides energy to function and to heal. In mitochondria dysfunction, infections and mold toxins cause the immune system to make excess oxidizing agents that damage the covering of the mitochondria. This leads to poor uptake of sugar and fat into the mitochondria and damages chemical reactions in the mitochondria. Because of this brain cells cannot function nor do they have the energy to heal – this causes Type 2 brain fog.

For Type 2 Brain Fog I find there are two important steps to repair the mitochondria.

• First, fix the outside of the mitochondria by repairing the damaged phospholipid fat covering. This is called phospholipid repair.
• Second, repair the inside of the mitochondria using the antioxidant called glutathione.

Phospholipid Repair

There are two products I suggest to support phospholipid membrane repair. These products are both manufactured by Researched Nutritionals. These products are NT Factor Energy* and ATP 360*. The main difference in these products is that ATP 360 includes Co Q10 and NT Factor Energy does not. ATP 360 is the newest product. Co Q10 should not be used in Babesia treatments that include atovaquone (Mepron and Malarone) because it interferes with their ability to kill this germ. For more information see A Comparison of ATP Fuel, ATP 360 & NT Factor Energy by Researched Nutritionals.

Choose one of the products below based on whether you can take Co Q10 as I describe above. Do not use both of these products together at the same time.

• NT Factor Energy take 2 pills 3 times a day for 2 months, then decrease to 1 pill 3 times a day for 4 months. (This product does not include Co Q10.)
• ATP 360 take 3 pills 1 time a day for 6 months. (This product includes Co Q10)

Increase Glutathione

Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant that repairs cell injury and mitochondria energy from the inside. It is made in every cell. Liposomal glutathione is best. This type of glutathione is microscopically wrapped in phospholipid fats which increases its absorption. One can also breathe glutathione in using a nebulizer or take it by IV. The nebulizer and IV versions may work more effectively in some than the liposomal oral form. Read more about the nebulizer and IV versions including dosing and how frequent to take them in the article Glutathione: The Great Fixer.

An alternative to glutathione is to take a building block of glutathione called N acetyl-cysteine (NAC). Inside cells NAC is used to make glutathione. My preference is the liposomal glutathione but in some it does not work or is too expensive.

• Liposomal Glutathione 500 mg/5 ml take 5 ml 1 or 2 times a day, or
• N Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC) 500 mg 1 pill 3 times a day.

See How to Fix Mitochondria & Get Energy in Lyme Disease for additional steps you can take to repair the mitochondria.

Step Three: Lower Histamines

Histamines are made in excess in allergies and in a condition called Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. If you have either one of these conditions, then you should work to stabilize the cells where histamines are made. These cells are called mast cells. Histamines in the right amount actually help brain function. But in excess they can shut down brain function. Excess histamines cause a brain immune cell called microglia to make too many cytokine inflammation chemicals. As I note above, cytokine inflammation is a cause of brain fog. In addition the brain has an H3 histamine receptor that shuts down brain function when there are too many histamines.

To treat this condition, work to stabilize your mast cells so they do not produce or release as many histamines. The bioflavonoids quercetin and luteolin stabilize mast cells. You can use one or both of these.

• Quercetin 250 mg 2 pills 2 or 3 times a day
• Luteolin 100 mg 1 pill 2 or three times a day.

See Mast Cell Activation Syndrome & Lyme for additional steps you can take to treat this condition.

Timing

At the beginning of treatment focus on removing the sources of inflammation like infections and removing mold toxins. In addition, lower inflammation cytokines with curcumin. If you have excess histamines, use the luteolin or quercetin.

Later, after three to six months if you have no improvement then add the mitochondria repair steps using phospholipid repair and liposomal glutathione. These additional steps can take up to six months for maximum effect.

Hyperbaric Oxygen

At times even the supplements and antimicrobials are not effective. In these situations treatment with hyperbaric oxygen can be helpful. This requires a minimum of 40 dives to a depth of 2.4 atmospheres. Hyperbaric oxygen lowers brain inflammation, improves nerve function and connections in the brain, and improves mitochondria function.

Disclaimer

The ideas and recommendations on this website and in this article are for informational purposes only. For more information about this, see the sitewide Terms & Conditions.

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

See full profile: on LinkedIn 
Follow: on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram

About the Author

Marty Ross, MD is a passionate Lyme disease educator and clinical expert. He helps Lyme sufferers and their physicians see what really works based on his review of the science and extensive real-world experience. Dr. Ross is licensed to practice medicine in Washington State where he has treated thousands of Lyme disease patients in his Seattle practice. 

Marty Ross, MD is a graduate of Indiana University School of Medicine and Georgetown University Family Medicine Residency. He is a member of the International Lyme and Associated Disease Society (ILADS) and The Institute for Functional Medicine.