Love, Hope, Lyme Podcast

This is episode 42 of the Love, Hope, Lyme Podcast.

Note: This podcast does not promote specific medical treatments and is not a substitute for medical advice.

In this deeply moving episode of Love, Hope, Lyme, host Fred Diamond welcomes Dr. Jennifer Gardella, author of Listen for the Whispers of Abuse. Together, they explore the powerful intersection of trauma, chronic Lyme disease, and surviving domestic violence. Dr. Gardella shares her courageous journey of escaping abuse, rebuilding her life, and helping others recognize and address the patterns of trauma that impact survivors of both domestic violence and chronic illnesses like Lyme disease.

✅ The link between unresolved trauma and the challenges of chronic illness recovery ✅ Dr. Gardella’s healing journey, including crisis counseling, trauma therapy, and EMDR ✅ Similarities between survivors of Lyme disease and domestic violence, from disbelief to retraumatization ✅ Practical advice for finding healing, support, and hope for survivors and their loved ones ✅ The essential role of community in overcoming trauma, and why “It’s not your fault”

✨ “We don’t out-trauma each other, but we can support each other.” — Dr. Jennifer Gardella

Whether you’re managing a chronic illness, supporting a loved one, or navigating personal trauma, this episode offers hope, understanding, and actionable insights. 💚

📖 Learn more about Dr. Gardella’s work in Listen for the Whispers of Abuse.

🎧 Explore more episodes of Love, Hope, Lyme for conversations with leading experts and advocates.

🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for updates on new episodes. Share this episode with someone who needs it!

💚 The e-book version of Love, Hope, Lyme is always free for Lyme survivors—reach out to Fred on Facebook or LinkedIn. To purchase the print version, visit Amazon.

#ChronicLyme #TraumaHealing #DomesticViolenceSurvivor #Podcast #LymeDiseaseWarrior

This is episode 41 of the Love, Hope, Lyme podcast.

[NOTE: This podcast does not promote any specific medical treatment and should not be seen as a replacement for medical advice.]

In today’s episode, Fred Diamond sits down with Rabbi Melinda Bernstein, a resilient Lyme survivor and practicing rabbi. Together, they explore the profound challenges and spiritual questions that arise when battling chronic Lyme disease and its relentless coinfections.

Rabbi Melinda offers unique insights on connecting with a higher power during this struggle, sharing how maintaining faith can open doors to healing and offer a sense of purpose amid the journey. Through her own experiences, Rabbi Melinda reveals how faith can be both tested and strengthened by Lyme disease, providing hope to those on a tumultuous path to recovery.

When researching his widely acclaimed book, "Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know," Fred encountered many Lyme survivors and caregivers grappling with their faith. Some found comfort and commitment in their beliefs, while others experienced doubt. Even Fred faced a crisis of faith after a deeply personal loss, making this discussion particularly close to his heart.

In Love, Hope, Lyme, Fred provides family members and friends with practical advice to support their loved ones battling chronic Lyme. For Lyme survivors, the book offers guidance on how to ask for support and cultivate resilience in relationships.

If you or someone you love is affected by Lyme disease, this conversation is for you.

Gain insights on finding strength, holding onto hope, and reconnecting with spirituality in the face of illness.

You can schedule a meeting with Rabbi Melinda at https://calendly.com/melinda-bernstein/15min?month=2024-11 or visit her website at https://melindabernstein.com/about/.

The e-book version of Love, Hope, Lyme is always free for Lyme survivors—just reach out to Fred on Facebook or LinkedIn. To purchase the print version, visit Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Love-Hope-Lyme-Partners-Survivor-ebook/dp/B0B9Q8LX7G/.

This is episode 40 of the Love, Hope, Lyme podcast.

[NOTE: This podcast does not promote any specific medical treatment and should not be seen as a replacement for medical advice.]

On today’s episode, Fred brings on Sami Kirschbaum of the Lyme Resilience Collective to discuss brain spotting and other ways to deal with the trauma that often comes with chronic disease. They discuss how to handle shame and grief that often come with the loss. Sami took Fred through a brain spotting session and they discuss how it might work for you. 

When Fred was doing the research for his popular book “Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know,” he was ignorant of the sometimes perpetual traumas that chronic Lyme survivors might face throughout their healing journey. Many survivors have lost relationships, livelihoods, and joy.

But, healing from the trauma is possible.

Fred Diamond's popular book, "Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know" offers those who love someone with persistent or chronic Lyme disease ideas and tips to support this beloved person. It also helps Lyme survivors know how to ask for support.

If someone you love has been afflicted with Lyme disease, watch this podcast now. If you have Lyme disease, listen for ways to get the support you need.

The e-version of Fred's book is always free for Lyme survivors. Just reach out to Fred on Facebook or LinkedIn. The print copy can be ordered at https://www.amazon.com/Love-Hope-Lyme-Partners-Survivor-ebook/dp/B0B9Q8LX7G/.

This is episode 39 of the Love, Hope, Lyme podcast.

[NOTE: This podcast does not promote any specific medical treatment and should not be seen as a replacement for medical advice.]

Fred Diamond's popular book, "Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know" offers those who love someone with persistent or chronic Lyme disease ideas and tips to support this beloved person. It also helps Lyme survivors know how to ask for support.

On today’s episode, he discusses how to ensure you find the best doctor if you have chronic Lyme disease with ILADS president Dr. Amy Offutt. Lyme disease can be a complex and often misunderstood illness. For those dealing with it, finding a knowledgeable and compassionate doctor can be crucial to healing optimally.

On today’s Love, Hope, Lyme podcast, Dr. Amy Offutt, current president of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS), has spent her career educating doctors and treating patients with chronic Lyme disease. In this podcast, we explore her ideas for Lyme disease survivors on finding the right medical doctor.

When Fred was doing the research for his popular book “Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know,” he did not know there were challenges educating medical professionals to treat and care for Lyme disease survivors.

If someone you love has been afflicted with Lyme disease, watch this podcast now. If you have Lyme disease, listen for ways to get the support you need.

The e-version of Fred's book is always free for Lyme survivors. Just reach out to Fred on Facebook or LinkedIn. The print copy can be ordered at https://www.amazon.com/Love-Hope-Lyme-Partners-Survivor-ebook/dp/B0B9Q8LX7G/.

This is episode 38 of the Love, Hope, Lyme podcast.

[NOTE: This podcast does not promote any specific medical treatment and should not be seen as a replacement for medical advice.]

Fred Diamond's popular book, "Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know" offers those who love someone with persistent or chronic Lyme disease ideas and tips to support this beloved person. It also helps Lyme survivors know how to ask for support.

On today’s episode, he catches up with Lyme survivor and advocate Olivia Goodreau from the LivLyme Foundation. They discuss how she created the foundation when SHE WAS 12 years old.

They also discuss her advocacy and recovery journey that she shared in her book "But She Looks Fine."

Olivia discussed her journey of meeting with dozens of doctors until she received the proper treatment to recover from Lyme disease and its coinfections.

Now a college student at UCLA, she also talked about her new Tick Tracker app and how it can help people stay clear of ticks.

When Fred was doing the research for his popular book “Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know,” he didn't know how Lyme disease affected children and teenagers and the struggle they face in recovery.

Olivia's story is unique and an example of how Lyme disease survivors need to be their own advocates and can also help thousands of other find peace.

If someone you love has been afflicted with Lyme disease, watch this podcast now. If you have Lyme disease, listen for ways to get the support you need.

The e-version of Fred's book is always free for Lyme survivors. Just reach out to Fred on Facebook or LinkedIn.

The print copy can be ordered at https://www.amazon.com/Love-Hope-Lyme-Partners-Survivor-ebook/dp/B0B9Q8LX7G/.

This is episode 37 of the Love, Hope, Lyme podcast.

[NOTE: This podcast does not promote any specific medical treatment and should not be seen as a replacement for medical advice.]

Fred Diamond's popular book, "Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know" offers those who love someone with persistent or chronic Lyme disease ideas and tips to support this beloved person. It also helps Lyme survivors know how to ask for support.

On today’s episode, we discuss Alpha Gal Syndrome, a tick-borne disease that caused red meat allergies, Lyme testing updates, and new treatments in the works. His guests are Global Lyme Alliance CEO Laura MacNeill and then GLA Chief Scientific Officer Tim Sellati. They discuss the work GLA is doing to develop better diagnostics, tests and treatment for tick-borne diseases including Lyme and the coinfections Bartonella and Babesiosis.

They discussed work they are funding with Dr. Brandon Jutras at Northwestern University and other research projects in the Lyme and chronic illness world.

When Fred was doing the research for his popular book “Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know,” he was ignorant about the work happening at universities to find better diagnostics, treatment, and mental health solutions for the millions of chronic Lyme disease survivors around the globe.

If someone you love has been afflicted with Lyme disease, watch this podcast now. If you have Lyme disease, listen for ways to get the support you need.

The e-version of Fred's book is always free for Lyme survivors. Just reach out to Fred on Facebook or LinkedIn.

The print copy can be ordered at https://www.amazon.com/Love-Hope-Lyme-Partners-Survivor-ebook/dp/B0B9Q8LX7G/.

This is episode 36 of the Love, Hope, Lyme podcast.

[NOTE: This podcast does not promote any specific medical treatment and should not be seen as a replacement for professional medical advice.]

Fred Diamond's internationally acclaimed book, "Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know" offers those who love someone with persistent or chronic Lyme ideas and tips to support this beloved person.

It also helps Lyme survivors know how to ask for support.

On today’s episode, Fred interviews Michelle McKinzie, a licensed integrative therapist with specialized training in integrative medicine for mental health professionals. She supports professional women grappling with chronic Lyme disease to help them manage the overwhelming stress, isolation, and challenges that come with the disease so they can confidently advocate for themselves, boost their energy, and effectively navigate their medical treatments.

Fred said that after speaking or messaging thousands of chronic Lyme survivors, he learned that maintaining life balance could be very difficult. He addresses this in his book and delves deep on this topic with his guest.

If someone you love has been afflicted with Lyme disease, watch this podcast now. If you have Lyme disease, listen for ways to get the support you need.

The e-version of Fred's book is always free for Lyme survivors. Just reach out to Fred on Facebook or LinkedIn.

The print copy can be ordered at https://www.amazon.com/Love-Hope-Lyme-Partners-Survivor-ebook/dp/B0B9Q8LX7G/.

This is episode 35 of the Love, Hope, Lyme podcast.

Fred Diamond's internationally-acclaimed book, "Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know" offers those who love someone with persistent or chronic Lyme ideas and tips to support this beloved person. It also helps Lyme survivors know how to ask for support.

On today’s episode, Fred interviews Dr. Mo Elamir from the Aviv Clinic to discuss hyperbaric oxygen therapy for chronic Lyme disease.

According to the Aviv Clinic, Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a medical treatment that involves breathing 100% pure oxygen in a pressurized HBOT suite (often called a hyperbaric oxygen chamber). This process increases oxygen levels in the body 10–15 times higher than normal, and has been long-proven to speed up the body’s healing and rejuvenation abilities.

After speaking or messaging with thousands of chronic Lyme survivors, Fred realized how many were desperate to seek medical or alternative treatments that would ease the horrific symptoms that they would experience. HBOT is one that has come up ofter and on this show, he goes deep with Dr. Mo to understand how it may help.

If someone you love has been afflicted with Lyme disease, watch this podcast now. If you have Lyme disease, listen for ways to get the support you need.

The e-version of Fred's book is always free for Lyme survivors. Just reach out to Fred on Facebook or LinkedIn.

The print copy can be ordered at https://www.amazon.com/Love-Hope-Lyme-Partners-Survivor-ebook/dp/B0B9Q8LX7G/.

This is episode 34 of the Love, Hope, Lyme podcast.

Fred Diamond's popular book, "Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know" offers those who love someone with persistent or chronic Lyme ideas and tips to support this beloved person. It also helps Lyme survivors know how to ask for support.

On today’s episode, Fred interviews Dr. Neil Nathan to discuss his new book "The Sensitive Patient's Healing Guide: Top Experts Offer New Insights and Treatments for Environmental Toxins, Lyme Disease, and Emfs."

When Fred was first discovering the trauma related to tick-borne diseases, one of the first books he read was Dr. Nathan's classic "Toxic: Heal Your Body from Mold Toxicity, Lyme Disease, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, and Chronic Environmental Illness." It helped him understand how difficult mold allergies can be to treat and how much interplay there is with Lyme disease.

Dr. Nathan discussed many of the complications sensitive patients go through in finding treatments to get healthy. Fred digs deep so that Lyme survivors can find some peace and suggestions on how to get treatment, and, as he always does, how those who love and want to support someone they love with Lyme disease can support them.

If someone you love has been afflicted with Lyme disease, watch this podcast now. If you have Lyme disease, listen for ways to get the support you need.

The e-version of Fred's book is always free for Lyme survivors. Just reach out to Fred on Facebook or LinkedIn.

The print copy can be ordered at https://www.amazon.com/Love-Hope-Lyme-Partners-Survivor-ebook/dp/B0B9Q8LX7G/.

This is episode 33 of the Love, Hope, Lyme podcast.

Fred Diamond's popular book, "Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know" offers those who love someone with persistent or chronic Lyme ideas and tips to support this beloved person. It also helps Lyme survivors know how to ask for support.

On today’s episode, Fred interviews patient-centered healthcare advocate Bruce Alan Fries. It's incredible that Lyme and other tick-borne diseases have political implications. For scores, entities such as the CDC and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) refused to acknowledge that chronic Lyme disease even existed and recommended minimal treatment protocols that, in many cases, did not even come close to treating the diseases.

Bruce discussed some of the political initiatives he created or participated in to bring more government awareness of these troubling diseases.

If someone you love has been afflicted with Lyme disease, watch this podcast now. If you have Lyme disease, listen for ways to get the support you need.

The e-version of Fred's book is always free for Lyme survivors. Just reach out to Fred on Facebook or LinkedIn. The print copy can be ordered at https://a.co/d/ifi9Wne.