Richard Horowitz has made the unfortunate decision to sensationalize Lyme disease instead of encouraging people to learn more about it. That’s one of the primary examples people give to validate the notion that chronic Lyme disease is simply a ploy for attention – people know more about the personalities and the emotions and the drama compared with the established facts surrounding the bacteria.

For example, many if not most people advocating for “Lyme Disease” aren’t even aware that it’s a spirochete just like syphilis. When you mention that, they have to go look it up then return with identical responses: “They’re both spirochetes” and that’s where their understanding ends. Many of these same individuals ironically shared images lamenting the recent death of Dr. Alan MacDonald (or Alan McDonald depending on who you follow), without fully understanding his contribution to understanding Lyme disease.

Many of the people perpetuating the myths that Dr. Horowitz promote, including that Bartonella comes from ticks, are clinically diagnosed with no bullseye rash and no diagnostic evidence – molecular or serologic. To these people, Lyme disease is the label they got when nothing else fit. Watch out, because these are the people trying to re-invent Lyme disease as an all encompassing term that reflect the drama, turmoil, and struggle everyone should pay attention to that is going wrong with their lives.

For the rest of us, with bullseye rashes and serologic evidence, Lyme disease is single bacteria that is very close in presentation to syphilis. For most of us in the late-stage, hard to treat scenario – securing a doctor that specializes in diagnosing Lyme disease is what made the difference between help and hopelessness. Once our doctors provided compelling evidence that yes – we do in fact have Lyme disease or an infection like it, insurance started covering our treatments day one.

We’ve moved on from the drama so we can get back to living our lives.

There’s no compelling evidence in Dr. Horowitz’ recent article that it’s easier to commit suicide (medically assisted) than securing Lyme disease treatment. It seems the fact of the matter is, there are options many people just aren’t pursuing. Articles like what Dr. Horowitz has recently written could easily lead someone in desperation down the wrong path, facilitated entirely by bad influence.