Getting treated for depression, pretty good health. Some microorganism has taken over foods that have not even opened. It is there in all unused food. How to get rid of this?
Patient: I am a 57 year old female who is in pretty good health except for major depression for which I am being treated. My problem has been going on for at least a couple of months. Out of nowhere this thing that I guess you would call it a micro organism has taken over my home. It just shows up in almost anything especially foods that have not even been opened. This thing can get inside just about anything that hasn t been used. It is getting inside of my cat s unopened cat food cans and altering the content of the food in a gross way. The food turns into a totally different product which I have been observing with a magnifying glass. I have even double bagged stuff in ziplock bags and this stuff still gets into it. Do you have any suggestions as to what I can do to get rid of this stuff? If I hadn t been witnessing it I wouldn t believe it could be true. Help!!! I can hardly eat anything at home because of this and I am losing quite a bit of weight. Doctor: Hi Lynda,  Welcome to Healthcare Magic and thanks for your question...  I understand your concern about the strange things that seem to be happening at home. I know how distressing and difficult it can be if you are feeling constantly concerned and afraid about this.   Lynda, firstly I want you to understand that as doctors, we are here to help you get out of your distress and I am here to do precisely that by giving you the most appropriate advice. Now, having that in mind, I also want you to understand that sometimes, when we are suffering from a psychological disorder, we may tend to have excessive fears, beliefs or concerns which may actually be a result of the psychological disorder itself.   You have mentioned have been suffering form depression and are on treatment currently. Based on my experience of having seen many patients presenting with similar problems like yours, I feel that these are part of the psychological disorder only. I know and understand very well that to you these things may appear absolutely real and it may be difficult to accept the fact that these may not be entirely real. But, sometimes, the psychological disorder can influence our minds and cloud our thinking so much that we may end up believing things which may not be entirely real. This can then result in excessive and irrational fears.  Now, again, I want you to be very clear that I am in no way trying to say that the distress and suffering that you are going through is unimportant... I fully agree with you that it is very upsetting and difficult. But, it is also important to be aware and open to the fact that your beliefs / fears may be as a result of the psychological problem you are going through...  I would strongly suggest to get a review appointment with your psychiatrist. I'm sure he would be able to assess you more in detail and adjust your medication accordingly to control these fears.  Wish you all the best.  - Dr. Jonas Sundarakumar   Consultant Psychiatrist