Chronic

The Hidden Cause of the Autoimmune Pandemic and How to Get Healthy Again

By: Steven Phillips MD, Dana Parish, Kristin Loberg

Narrated by: Teri Schnaubelt, Thomas Allen

Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

Autoimmune disease and chronic illness is a global pandemic. What is fueling it?

In this timely book, Steven Phillips, MD, and his former patient, Sony singer-songwriter Dana Parish, reveal striking evidence that a broad range of common infections, from COVID-19 to Lyme and many others, cause a variety of autoimmune, psychiatric, and chronic conditions. Chronic explores the science behind what makes them difficult to diagnose and treat, debunks widely held beliefs by doctors and patients alike, and provides solutions that empower sufferers to reclaim their lives.

Dr. Phillips was already an internationally renowned physician specializing in complex, chronic diseases when he became a patient himself. After nearly dying from his own mystery illness, he experienced firsthand the medical community’s ignorance about the pathogens that underlie a deep spectrum of serious conditions - from fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus, to depression, anxiety, OCD and neurodegenerative disorders. Parish, too, watched her health spiral after twelve top doctors missed an underlying infection that caused heart failure and other sudden debilitating physical and psychiatric symptoms. Now, they’ve come together with a mission: to change the current model of simply treating symptoms - often with dangerous, lifelong drugs - and shift the focus to finding and curing root causes of chronic diseases that affect millions around the world.

©2020 Steven Phillips MD and Dana Parish (P)2020 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“This book shines an alarming light on emerging infections that cause chronic illnesses. Brimming with bulletproof science, Chronic is an insightful clarion call for more attention to this plague of the 21st century.” --Sanjay Gupta, MD

“An informative guide to ‘the pandemic in plain sight,’ urgent without undue alarmism.” --Kirkus Reviews

Great data

Great data and perspective. It opened my mind to new possibilities and gives me some hope.

such important info

Especially liked the last few chapters. I understand how it is more relevant to Lyme sufferers.

Exciting book for exciting times

After reading this audio book, I have been telling friends and coworkers about this book and how doctors are battling with each other to provide care to the patient. It’s an exciting book because there is a cure, so to speak. I would like to know what someone with Lyme disease thought about this book. Chapter nine was kind of a filler chapter for the pandemic and I think it should be removed.

A must read book

I learned so much from this book. It gives me hope for my condition. Everyone should read this book. Outstanding and easy to understand.

Brilliantly woven accounting of chronic infections

Dr Phillips and Ms Parish artfully and scientifically presents the story of today’s epidemic of chronic infections. Describing historical case studies, cutting-edge technological advances, and patient experiences, a convincing case is made for potential/likely infectious origin and persistent microbial characteristics behind many of today’s chronic conditions/suffering.
Dr Phillips proposes the use of ‘Lyme-Plus’ as an alternative to ‘Lyme and associated diseases’ or ‘tick borne illnesses’ — which I really think might be ‘catchy’ enough to be broadly adopted. It is sort of a ‘tongue-in-check’ way of saying you get ‘so much more’ than you expected.
Dr Phillips is an advocate for pulsed antibiotic use based on his successful clinical experiences — and current lack of better, more targeted treatment protocols. I was attracted to the book by the Forward written by the late Dr Neil Specter given his research into the potential use of targeted-cancer technologies against persistent species of Borrelia and Bartonella.
Given what the authors chose to focus on, I get that impression that Dr Phillips might not label himself a functional medicine doctor. He only alludes superficially to the positive impact that diet (including herbal supplements) can have on a person’s immune system. What he does include, however, aligns nicely with functional medicine’s obsession with root-cause identification and supporting one’s immune system to enable healing — particularly when more targeted therapies are lacking.
I noted that Dr Phillips provides an accurate and concise description of the recent excitement about Disulfiram (the good and the bad). He does not, surprisingly, address emerging SOT therapies. Interesting, given that SOT claims (and appears) to be exactly the type of targeted therapies that Dr Phillips (and all of us) are looking for. The reasonable costs and expanding catalog of species that can be targeted with SOT makes this today’s most promising treatment against persistent microbial infections. Maybe that will be in the next book in the fast moving search for effective treatments. And maybe someday SORT will be covered by insurance…
I enjoyed Dr Phillip’s last minute addition of COVID infections — and the striking similarities between long-haul COVID and chronic / long-haul Lyme-Plus.
Overall, this is an OUTSTANDING book for both medical professionals as well as those afflicted with, or caring for others with, these difficult to explain chronic conditions (aka infections). You will come away with a firm grasp of both the problem and the most up to date synopsis of available treatments that I have found in a book so far.

Informative, Heartwarming, Empowering

As a Lyme+ patient I found this book incredibly empowering. Very well explained & put together. Dr Phillips & Parish should be extremely proud of themselves. I write this with tears in my eyes — Thank you for speaking the truth. Let’s keep going.

Liver Cirrhosis Patient: South Africa Countryside

Book really changed everything, currently diagnosed with liver cirrhosis without "Root cause". Transplant to follow😭

Antibiotics may be a cure to autoimmune diseases

I think everyone who has been diagnosed with an autoimmune illness should listen to this book and see if their symptoms could possibly be due to chronic lyme disease.

Excellent

overall fantastic review of the scientific literature and science behind tick borne illnesses. Definitely a must-read for anyone who is afflicted.

Eye opening and very interesting

A wealth of information! perfect for these times. This info will help so many people I’m sure.