Studies show social anxiety is often linked to an overactive amygdala, a part of the brain which is commonly overstimulated in patients with chronic Lyme disease. When the amygdala is overstimulated, emotional responses to external situations completely bypass the neo-cortex of the brain and go straight from the thalamus to the amygdala [1]. Typically, emotional response to situations is sent from the thalamus to the part of the brain responsible for conscious thought, the neo-cortex, where it can be analyzed for a rational response before it is sent to the amygdala for us to act upon –both physically and physiologically. However, in people with Lyme disease, emotional responses take a shortcut from the thalamus straight to the amygdala –which is dubbed the “fear center” of the brain for a very good reason. Naturally, when we feel fear that seems both beyond our control and comprehension, our fear is only amplified ten-fold. As a result, we begin to completely alienate ourselves from all activities and social interactions with the potential to cause anxiety because we feel powerless to control it should it arise.