to get the disease, you need to be bitten by a tick that carries the Borrellia bacteria. Period. There are some theories that it can pass to mother & fetus (which makes sense). To imply that one has to have some unresolved issues to contract this is irresponsible. People w/this have enough on their plate w/out adding to the burden. I know you'll disagree w/me charkee, so don't bother responding.

You DO NOT need to have a conflict present to get the disease. The BACTERIA is needed to get the disease.

Not everyone gets bit by the tick, it can be passed from mother to child while pregnant.

If you do get bit by a tick, you do not always get the bullseye rash.

It does not always "activate" or show symptoms immediately. It can lay dormant until a stressful situation occurs, such as a car accident or pregnancy or injury to the body. Or possibly the situations you mentioned above.

However, to suggest that you have to have a family incident or job separation present, with the bacteria, in order to get lyme disease, is inaccurate and dangerous to tell people. Please be clear in your statments. Lyme patients are stressed enough and get bombarded with enough bad information. This is a place to come for help. Not more bad info.

Also, tests are inaccurate and unreliable, so a lyme literate doctor should diagnose you based on your symptoms. Most regular doctors and infectious disease doctors don't know what lyme is or how to treat it, so you should seek a lyme literate doctor (LLMD).

You can also go to lymedisease.org for valuable information and resources.

Also this disease does not discriminate. There is no indication that is often found in immigrants or their children. It is found in countries all over the world.

More often than not, people will be infected with co-infections, not just the lyme bacteria (borrelia burgdorgeri), so in order to get improvement you must be tested and treated for the other common co-infections, as well. Examples are cat scratch fever (bartonella henselea), rabit fever (tularemia), babesiosis and mycoplasma.