S.L.A.M. Sturbridge Lyme Awareness of Massachusetts

01/05/2026

01/03/2026

Behavior changed overnight. And nothing makes sense.

Sudden rage episodes. OCD appearing out of nowhere. New tics. A child who was fine yesterday and seems possessed today.

The psychiatric medications aren't working the way they should. Maybe they help a little, then stop. Or they make things worse. Or they just don't touch the symptoms at all.

This is a red flag.

When a child's behavior changes this dramatically and this suddenly, we need to think beyond psychiatry. Because there's often an infectious trigger—something that's causing the brain to inflame and malfunction.

It's not that the child has a mental illness. It's that their immune system is attacking their brain in response to an infection.

And when we figure out what that infection is and treat it appropriately? The psychiatric symptoms often resolve completely.

But if we only reach for psychiatric medications without investigating the cause, we miss the opportunity to actually heal what's happening.

Early identification changes everything. The sooner we catch these cases, the better the outcomes.

Save this if you're seeing sudden behavioral changes in a child

Share with someone who needs to consider an infectious cause

01/03/2026

HHS Secretary of Health RFK Jr.

12/30/2025

A new law requires a review of military archives to determine whether Cold War tick weaponization contributed to today’s epidemic of tick-borne diseases.

12/24/2025

Blessings for a happy and healthy holiday! 🎅🎄

12/23/2025

Did you know...

12/19/2025

12/19/2025

EDIT: the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act was signed Into law by President Trump on 18 December 2025 ✍️

Major U.S. Defense Bill includes Lyme amendment to investigate possible military origins

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act containing an amendment by Rep. Chris Smith that directs the Government Accountability Office to investigate whether the U.S. military weaponized ticks with Lyme disease pathogens during the Cold War.

The amendment requests a full review of military and federal research between 1945 and 1972 involving the use of ticks and tick-borne bacteria such as Borrelia and Rickettsiales.

Rep. Smith, who is Co-Chair of the U.S. Congressional Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Caucus, said the move aims to bring truth and transparency to the origins of the disease that continues to affect millions worldwide. Similar amendments also passed the House in 2019 and 2021 but were blocked by the Senate. The current Senate has a Republican majority, so the amendment is expected to be signed by President Trump upon its final passage.

This inquiry was inspired in part by journalist Kris Newby’s book Bitten: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons, which includes insights from Dr. W***y Burgdorfer, the scientist credited with discovering Lyme disease.

This milestone represents a potential turning point in understanding how Lyme disease emerged and spread. Greater transparency about historical research programs could strengthen the case for more biomedical research, accountability, and policy reform worldwide.
📍 Washington, Dec 10, 2025

🔗 See press release here: https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415162

12/19/2025

Explore the causes, impact, and management strategies for brain fog in Lyme disease, offering insights and practical tips to help sufferers cope and improve their quality of life.

12/19/2025

To the Lyme community: you are being seen, and you are being heard. 💚

At the HHS Lyme Roundtable, Dr. Stephanie E. Haridopolos—Chief of Staff for the U.S. Surgeon General—shared words our community has waited far too long to hear. Today was a reminder that patient voices matter, and that real change is possible when leaders, researchers, clinicians, and advocates come to the same table.

We’re proud to stand in this moment and even more committed to what comes next: better diagnostics, better treatment, more research, and dignity for every patient. 💚✅🙌