Coping with suffering …

Ross Douthat's Faith in Pain - The American Conservative. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

The facts of his story seem to mirror that of many similar sufferers. He moves with his family to a farmhouse in Connecticut, the historical center of Lyme disease. This move is financially and psychologically stressful. He becomes progressively ill, with a constellation of symptoms that are visible mostly to him. Initially doctors can’t find much wrong with him on tests and send him to a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist listens to his story and suggests he has a tick-borne illness. This prompts referrals to more doctors, including specialists in chronic Lyme.