Abstract
Lyme borreliosis is an infectious disease caused by a bacteria transmitted by the Ixodes tick. It constitutes an increasingly prevalent epidemic, and is responsible for causing a host of neuropsychiatric symptoms including anxiety states with panic attacks, suicidal depression, irritability with rage, and psychosis. The underlying pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric Lyme disease is similar to individuals suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, with dysregulation of the neuro-endocrine-immune system. Psilocybin has demonstrated significant benefit in its capacity to decrease neuroinflammation, increase neuroplasticity, normalize neurotransmitter activity, and decrease amygdala hypervigilance; its effectiveness in individuals suffering from treatment resistant depression and end of life anxiety has been well documented. This talk will detail the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric Lyme disease and PTSD, and review evidence suggesting that Psilocybin offers significant therapeutic benefit in these conditions.
Daniel A. Kinderlehrer M.D. is a nationally recognized physician with expertise in the fields of nutrition, allergy, environmental medicine, Lyme disease and the healing of mind-body-spirit as a unified whole. Dr. Kinderlehrer co-founded The New England Center for Holistic Medicine in Newbury Mssachusetts, and has taught extensively, including practitioner training courses at The Omega Institute, The National Institute of Behavioral Medicine, and the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society. He created and organized the Lyme Fundamentals course, which is presented annually at the International Lyme and Associated Diseases conferences. He is the author of several articles in medical journals, the Lyme Times, and Psychology Today. His integrated medical practice in Denver, Colorado focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of tick-borne disease. Dr. Kinderlehrer is the author of Recovery From Lyme Disease: The Integrative Medicine Guide to the Diagnosis and Treatment of Tick-Borne Illness, which was released in 2020.