Navigating an infection or chronic illness can be scary and isolating. Especially when you have difficulty finding the information and support you need for proper treatment and care. That’s the case for many people with Lyme disease.
Lyme patients are often left with little information, as the disease is widely misunderstood and misdiagnosed. Knowing how to advocate for yourself and get proper care comes down to knowing your options.
Representation in the media can help people feel less alone in their experiences and offer valuable resources and information that can make their journeys easier. Therefore, we’ve rounded up a collection of Lyme disease books and movies to help give people the vital information they need.
Lyme disease 101
If you’re reading this, it’s probably because you or someone you love has been impacted by Lyme disease or another tick-borne illness. Either way, we wanted to brush up on Lyme basics to help you become more Lyme literate.
This illness is sometimes called “the great imitator” because of its tendency to mimic other diseases like fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, and Lupus. Lyme disease is caused by a bacteria transmitted through a tick bite.
The most common symptoms of Lyme disease include:
- Fever and chills
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Muscles and joint aches
- A bull’s eye rash known as erythema migrans
Most cases can be treated with antibiotics when caught early on, but some people go on to develop chronic Lyme disease. Diagnosing and treating tick-borne diseases can be difficult, but more treatment options and diagnostic tools are available, like comprehensive tick testing through IGeneX.
Lyme disease books
Many innovative researchers, medical providers, and those who have suffered with Lyme have turned to authorship to help document their findings and share them with others through their books.
These are our top Lyme disease books:
Bitten by Kris Newby
Bitten was written by Kris Newby, a scientific writer whose life forever changed after one tick bite. She wanted to explore why the disease is so misunderstood, and why patients are often mistreated.
This true story thriller explores Lyme disease as one of today’s most controversial and misdiagnosed conditions through the lens of Willy Burgdorfer, the man who discovered the bacteria that causes the disease.
It also dives into Burgdorfer’s secret role in developing bug-borne biological weapons, which raises questions about how the tick-borne disease epidemic started. As far as Lyme disease books go, this one is best for those who want to feel inspired by someone taking tick-borne diseases into their own hands.
How Can I Get Better?: An Action Plan for Treating Resistant Lyme & Chronic Disease by Richard Horowitz MD
Dr. Richard Horowitz is a board-certified MD specializing in internal medicine and founded the Hudson Valley Healing Arts Center in New York with his wife. The center has treated thousands of patients for tick-borne diseases since it was founded, and Dr. Horowitz is known for being at the forefront of Lyme treatment.
His first Lyme disease book, Why Can’t I Get Better? Solving The Mystery of Lyme & Chronic Disease, focuses on diagnosing, treating, and healing Lyme and understanding what leads to chronic disease. The book discusses Dr. Horowitz’s revolutionary plan for treating Lyme disease, as well as other chronic diseases.
Dr. Horowitz has written two Lyme disease books. How Can I Get Better is his follow-up, featuring updated research and a direct, actionable plan for implementing his treatment protocols.
Recovery from Lyme Disease: The Integrative Medicine Guide to Diagnosing and Treating Tick-Borne Illness by Daniel A. Kinderlehrer MD
This book comes highly recommended to anyone who has been affected by tick-borne disease(s). It gives physicians and consumers an in-depth road map discussing tick-borne infections, possible diagnostic tests, and treatments.
Dr. Kinderlehrer offers an detailed but easily understandable guide on the many nuances and complexities of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. He discusses a wide array of innovative treatments to manage symptoms and get to the root cause.
Lyme disease movies
Prefer taking in information by watching it? You’re not the only one. As Lyme disease gets more exposure, more and more filmmakers are creating documentaries and movies that share vital information and share stories about Lyme.
Here are our Lyme disease movie picks:
Under Our Skin
Under Our Skin tells “The untold story of Lyme” through the lens of microbes, medicine, and money. The documentary follows the stories of patients and physicians “fighting for their lives and livelihoods,” showing how the healthcare system puts profits before patients.
This Oscar-shortlisted film has brought awareness and conversation to the problematic road many face when recovering from Lyme disease. It goes back to the history of Lyme disease from when it was first discovered to now when it is still a widely misunderstood and misdiagnosed condition affecting hundreds of thousands of people annually.
The Quiet Epidemic
The Quiet Epidemic was released in 2022 with the intention of using documentary filmmaking to shed light on long-ignored social issues and communicate the challenges people face and the solutions they need within and outside of the Lyme community.
They believe that through education and awareness, they can help create change. The creators of the film state, “We envision a world in which Chronic Lyme disease is recognized, the interests of patients are prioritized, and accurate diagnostics and treatments are accessible. The Quiet Epidemic is not just a movie; it’s a movement.”
It follows the history of Lyme disease, its discovery in 1975, and a paper trail of suppressed research exploring why tick-borne diseases have been allowed to spread around the globe.
The Monster Inside Me
Released in 2022, The Monster Inside Me is a unique and unconventional documentary where the filmmakers discuss Lyme disease’s deep and hidden layers, highlighting its physical and neurological aspects, and how those show up in people’s relationships.
They speak to world-renowned doctors and professionals that detail the disease and the “warrior-like” mentality that people with Lyme disease develop in their fight for their lives.
Resources on Lyme disease
If you or someone you love is navigating Lyme disease or another tick-borne illness, know that support is available to you. We hope this guide provides you with a road map, or at least stories to connect with in your Lyme journey. You can explore IGeneX’s tick talk articles with t