Peer to Peer Mentoring

Peer to peer support helped me when I was first diagnosed and I have seen it help patients with Lyme disease and other chronic conditions.  

My Personal Experience

• Another Lyme patient helped me early in my journey with Lyme disease. 
• When I was a teenager, I contracted sepsis twice, was put on IV antibiotics and both times all of my symptoms improved. My father was convinced that a bacterial infection was causing my symptoms, but no doctor would give it a second thought. 
• After my mom posted my story on Facebook, a friend who was also diagnosed with Lyme disease reached out and told my family about Lyme disease. I then pursued testing and was diagnosed with Lyme. 
• This same friend also supported me in finding a doctor and answering many questions that I had about living with Lyme disease. 

Formal Peer Mentoring

• I have been a peer mentor with the Global Lyme alliance since 2019 and have worked at InquisitHealth since 2016, coordinating peer mentoring programs. Having someone with the same lived experience builds trust and empathy that, with the right structure can change lives. 
• I’ve seen the "Issentials" framework at InquisitHealth be successful across 12+ health conditions in leveraging peer mentors to help patients achieve Holistic Life and Care Management. Mentors and mentees work together to address Issues such as medication cost, preparing for appointments, employment, and more through motivational interviewing techniques, goal setting, and curated resources. 

Peer mentoring helps patients achieve holistic life and care management.

https://www.inquisithealth.com/

https://www.globallymealliance.org/get-involved/mentor/peer-peer-mentor-program/