FAIRMONT – A new support group has formed in Martin County for those who have had to deal with the debilitating aspects of Lyme disease.

As there is widespread debate in the medical community as to whether or not chronic Lyme disease exists, organizers feel it is important for people who suffer from it to know they are not alone in their troubles.

Begun by Stacie Gerhardt in January of this year, the group is meant to provide encouragement and understanding among not only those who suffer, but also for family members of the afflicted. Many find dealing with the worst aspects of the disease in their loved ones to be too much, often leading to extremes such as divorce or suicide.

Unfortunately for Gerhardt, she began her battle with Lyme around the same time she had been involved in a car accident. Exhibiting many neurological issues, doctors at first found a herniated disc, which they believed to be the cause of her problems. However, another doctor decided to conduct a blood test, which came back positive for Lyme.

“It was a shock,” Gerhardt said. “My nerves were being attacked, my joints hurt, and I couldn’t function, and lost my job because of it.”

Though it can be diagnosed, many insurance companies do not cover treatment for the disease.

“It is known as the great imitator; it is often mistaken for Multiple Sclerosis, Lou Gehrig’s, Parkinson’s, or even freakishly early onset Alzheimer’s due to the accompanying brain fog and decreased cognitive function,” Gerhardt said.

Other diagnoses include fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, or even a psychosomatic disorder.

Todd Theobald, along with wife Diane, is eager to share his story and raise awareness.

“It has destroyed my life, I used to be a very high energy person. One of the worst things is to be told it’s all in your head or that you just need to get more exercise. When you have so little energy, and your body is diverting it all to fighting, people who don’t have it just can’t understand,” he said.

Theobald has other struggles that are common to those with Lyme, such as not being able to make it up a set of stairs without help, pain in the joints, depression, personality changes, and extreme sudden fatigue.

“One of the biggest things you learn is to not be judgmental,” Theobald said. “People tell you that you don’t look sick, or you seem fine today. The truth is, until you walk in another man’s shoes, you have no idea what they are going through.”

The struggle is real for family members of those who are sick, and many are urged to watch the video “Under Our Skin,” which is available online through the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society, or ILADS, website and can also be found on YouTube.

As for local people in the area, another meeting is set for 7 p.m. Thursday at The Healing Place in downtown Fairmont.