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Tick Boot Camp

Tick Boot Camp

By: Matt Sabatello and Rich Johannesen
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The goal of the Tick Boot Camp Podcast is to help people liberate themselves and others from suffering caused by Lyme disease through validation, community building, belief that healing is possible, and modeling success. Listen to our Tick Boot Camp podcast using all major podcast streaming services such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music. Our podcast is also integrated with smart home devices, such as Amazon Alexa and Apple TV. Ask your device to "play the Tick Boot Camp Podcast!"Copyright 2025 Alternative & Complementary Medicine Hygiene & Healthy Living Physical Illness & Disease
Episodes
  • Episode 573: From Hypervigilance to Healing — Ben Ahrens on Neuroplasticity and Recovering from Chronic Lyme Disease

    Episode 573: From Hypervigilance to Healing — Ben Ahrens on Neuroplasticity and Recovering from Chronic Lyme Disease
    Aug 1 2026
    At Amy Kurtz's But You Look Fine book launch and signing event in New York City, Tick Boot Camp co-founder Matt Sabatello caught up with former guest Ben Ahrens, founder of Re-Origin, for an insightful conversation about neuroplasticity, hypervigilance, chronic Lyme disease recovery, and the emerging science connecting the brain, nervous system, and chronic illness. Since his first appearance on the Tick Boot Camp Podcast, Ben has continued expanding Re-Origin's reach around the world while deepening his research into how chronic stress, trauma, and nervous system dysregulation can perpetuate illness long after the initial trigger has passed. This conversation explores why some patients remain trapped in cycles of symptoms, why many become increasingly sensitive to treatments, and how retraining the brain may help create conditions that support healing and recovery. Meet Ben Ahrens Ben Ahrens is the founder of Re-Origin, a neuroplasticity-based brain retraining program designed to help individuals struggling with chronic conditions including: Lyme diseaseChronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)Chronic painCentral sensitizationNervous system dysregulationComplex chronic inflammatory illnesses What began as Ben's personal journey out of severe neurological Lyme disease has evolved into a global movement. Today, Re-Origin serves members in more than 50 countries and has helped over 12,000 participants navigate recovery through nervous system regulation and neuroplasticity-based approaches. Why the Brain Matters in Chronic Lyme Disease Ben explains that chronic illness is not "all in your head." Instead, he argues that the brain serves as the body's master regulator, coordinating immune, hormonal, emotional, and physiological responses. When the nervous system becomes chronically overwhelmed, it can become trapped in a state of persistent threat detection. According to Ben, even when infections are being addressed and the body begins healing, the brain may continue operating as if danger is still present. This ongoing state of alarm can: Increase inflammationSuppress immune functionHeighten symptom perceptionAmplify treatment reactionsProlong illness cyclesMake recovery more difficult The result is a nervous system that remains stuck in survival mode long after the original threat has diminished. Understanding Hypervigilance One of the central themes of this interview is hypervigilance. Ben describes hypervigilance as a state in which the brain becomes excessively focused on detecting potential threats. Over time, the nervous system can become conditioned to interpret everyday sensations, stressors, and even beneficial treatments as danger signals. He explains that hypervigilance often develops gradually through a cumulative process rather than a single traumatic event. Potential contributors include: Chronic infectionsMedical uncertaintyFinancial stressRelationship challengesPhysical injuriesRepeated setbacksLong-term caregiving demandsOngoing emotional strain Eventually, the nervous system may reach a tipping point where seemingly minor stressors trigger major physiological responses. Why Some Lyme Patients Become Extremely Treatment Sensitive Many Lyme patients report becoming increasingly reactive to medications, supplements, detoxification protocols, and other therapies. Ben believes hypervigilance may help explain why. When the brain is operating from a persistent fight-or-flight state, it often interprets change itself as a threat. Even interventions intended to help may trigger exaggerated physiological responses because the nervous system is already overloaded. This can contribute to: Heightened treatment reactionsIncreased symptom flaresDifficulty tolerating protocolsFear surrounding new therapiesReduced resilience to stress Understanding the role of the nervous system may provide an additional layer of insight for patients who feel stuck despite pursuing multiple treatment strategies. The Connection Between Medical Trauma and Chronic Illness Inspired by Amy Kurtz's new book, Matt and Rich ask Ben about the concept of Medical Trauma Brain. Ben sees significant overlap between medical trauma and hypervigilance. He explains that one of the most difficult aspects of chronic illness is uncertainty: Not knowing what is wrongNot receiving answersFeeling dismissed by providersNavigating conflicting medical opinionsWatching symptoms worsen without explanation When patients spend months or years searching for answers, the brain can become increasingly conditioned to expect danger, uncertainty, and disappointment. This experience can create a powerful neurological imprint that persists long after diagnosis and treatment begin. How to Recognize Hypervigilance Many people living with chronic illness don't realize they are operating from a hypervigilant state because it has become their normal. Ben shares several common signs: Constant worry or ruminationFeeling unable to relaxPersistent fight-or-flight ...
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    14 mins
  • Episode 572: Born with Lyme Disease — How American Ninja Warrior Talan Yorn Turned Adversity into Purpose

    Episode 572: Born with Lyme Disease — How American Ninja Warrior Talan Yorn Turned Adversity into Purpose
    Jul 25 2026
    What if the greatest obstacle you ever faced became the very thing that inspired thousands of others? In this inspiring episode of the Tick Boot Camp Podcast, Matt Sabatello sits down with Talan Yorn, an 18-year-old American Ninja Warrior competitor, Lyme disease advocate, public speaker, author, and founder of Lyme Ninja. Born with congenital Lyme disease, Talan has never known life without chronic illness. His journey has included years of debilitating symptoms, neurological complications, mold illness, multiple tick-borne co-infections, extensive treatment, and even spending years bedridden. Today, Talan is proving that healing is possible. Through determination, perseverance, and a relentless refusal to give up, he transformed his life from being too sick to attend school into competing on national television as an American Ninja Warrior while using his platform to inspire hope throughout the Lyme community. This episode is a powerful reminder that recovery is rarely linear—but with the right support, persistence, and belief, extraordinary things are possible. Meet Talan Yorn Talan Yorn is an American Ninja Warrior competitor, Lyme disease advocate, author, public speaker, stunt performer, ninja coach, and founder of Lyme Ninja. Diagnosed with congenital Lyme disease at just seven years old after years of unexplained illness, Talan has dedicated his life to raising awareness for Lyme disease while encouraging others facing chronic illness to never lose hope. Learn more at Lyme Ninja. Read his inspiring memoir, Overcome: A Lyme Patient's Journey to American Ninja Warrior. In This Episode Matt and Talan discuss: Growing up with congenital Lyme diseaseReceiving a childhood Lyme, Babesia, and Bartonella diagnosis after years of unanswered questionsLiving with PANS, neurological symptoms, and immune dysfunctionThe impact of mold illness on Lyme recoveryIVIG, functional medicine, antibiotics, and long-term treatmentGoing from bedridden to competing on American Ninja WarriorBecoming "Lyme Ninja"Advocating for Lyme disease awareness nationwideFinding purpose through adversity Growing Up with Congenital Lyme Disease Because Talan contracted Lyme disease from his mother before birth, he never knew what it felt like to be healthy. Throughout his childhood he struggled with fatigue, joint pain, fevers, headaches, insomnia, vomiting, and difficulty walking while doctors repeatedly dismissed his symptoms as "growing pains." Everything changed after his mother was diagnosed by Lyme-literate physician Dr. Steven Harris, leading to Talan's own diagnosis at age seven. Finally having answers allowed his family to begin the long journey toward recovery. Talan reflects on what it was like growing up believing his symptoms were normal simply because he had never experienced life without Lyme disease. Watching other children run, play, and participate in sports while constantly battling pain and exhaustion shaped much of his childhood and fueled his determination to one day overcome the disease. Navigating Complex Lyme Disease Beyond physical symptoms, Talan discusses the profound neurological effects Lyme disease had on his life. Along with Lyme disease and multiple co-infections, he developed PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome), OCD, anxiety, insomnia, emotional dysregulation, and episodes of overwhelming rage that were later understood to be driven by neuroinflammation. His story offers an important reminder that Lyme disease can affect far more than the joints or muscles. In children especially, behavioral and psychiatric symptoms may be signs of underlying infection rather than isolated mental health conditions. To learn more about pediatric Lyme disease and PANS/PANDAS, listen to Dr. Somer DelSignore. Treatment, Remission, and Mold Illness Over the course of more than a decade, Talan pursued a comprehensive treatment approach that included antibiotics, herbal medicine, functional medicine, IVIG, immune support, nutritional therapies, mold detoxification, and more recently peptide therapy. After years of treatment, he experienced approximately six months of remission and finally enjoyed the active childhood he had always dreamed about. He played competitive baseball, built friendships, and discovered what life felt like without constant symptoms. Unfortunately, that progress came to a sudden halt after repeated exposure to mold-contaminated homes. The mold triggered a severe relapse, leaving Talan bedridden for nearly three years and forcing him to stop attending school. During this difficult period, IVIG became an important part of his recovery after doctors discovered significant immune dysfunction and extremely low white blood cell counts. Combined with removing mold exposure and continuing treatment, Talan slowly began rebuilding his health once again. For more discussions about mold illness and chronic Lyme disease, explore Tick Boot Camp's interview with Dr. Jill Carnahan. From Bedridden ...
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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • Episode 570: Medical Trauma Brain, Emotional Healing After Lyme Disease & Reclaiming Life Beyond Chronic Illness | Amy Kurtz

    Episode 570: Medical Trauma Brain, Emotional Healing After Lyme Disease & Reclaiming Life Beyond Chronic Illness | Amy Kurtz
    Jul 11 2026
    What happens after Lyme disease treatment ends—but you still don't feel like yourself? In this powerful in-person Tick Boot Camp studio interview, bestselling author, certified health coach, and Lyme disease advocate Amy Kurtz returns to discuss her groundbreaking new book, But You Look Fine: Trapped in the Hell Between Sick and Well and How To Break Free. Following the overwhelming response to her first Tick Boot Camp interview in Episode 449: Kicking Sick: Your Go-To Guide for Thriving with Chronic Health Conditions, Amy joins Matt Sabatello and Rich Johannesen for an unforgettable conversation about the emotional, neurological, and psychological aftermath of chronic illness. Together, they explore why healing doesn't always end when symptoms improve—and why many Lyme disease patients remain trapped between being physically better and emotionally free. Amy introduces the concept of Medical Trauma Brain, a framework that helps explain the fear, hypervigilance, anxiety, identity loss, and nervous system dysregulation experienced by so many people recovering from Lyme disease, tick-borne illness, mold illness, autoimmune disease, Long COVID, and other chronic conditions. If you've ever wondered why recovery still feels incomplete after treatment, this episode is one you won't want to miss. Listen or Watch 🎧 You're viewing the show notes for the Tick Boot Camp audio podcast, available on TickBootCamp.com, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms. 🎥 Prefer video? Watch the complete in-studio interview with Amy Kurtz on the Tick Boot Camp YouTube channel. Recorded in person at the Tick Boot Camp Studio, this deeply personal conversation combines Amy's lived experience, insights from leading trauma experts, and practical tools that can help patients move beyond survival mode and reclaim their lives. In This Episode What Is Medical Trauma Brain? Amy introduces her groundbreaking concept of Medical Trauma Brain (MTB)—the lingering emotional, neurological, and psychological effects that can persist long after physical symptoms improve. Years spent battling Lyme disease, searching for answers, enduring medical dismissal, and living in survival mode can fundamentally change how the brain responds to the world. Medical Trauma Brain helps explain why many patients continue experiencing: Fear of relapseHealth anxietyHypervigilanceDifficulty trusting their bodiesLoss of identityEmotional exhaustion Why Healing Doesn't End When Treatment Ends Amy shares how finally receiving a diagnosis of late-stage neurological Lyme disease and co-infections brought tremendous relief—but not complete healing. Although her body began recovering, her nervous system continued living as if danger was everywhere. She explains how years spent fighting for answers rewired her brain into survival mode, leaving her emotionally stuck despite significant physical progress. The conversation explores why emotional recovery often lags behind physical recovery and why this overlooked phase of healing deserves far greater attention. Chronic Resilience Can Become Chronic Survival For years, Amy relied on resilience simply to survive. But she explains how constantly pushing forward can eventually create a nervous system that's unable to relax—even after the crisis has passed. Matt and Rich discuss how resilience, while essential during illness, can eventually become another obstacle that requires healing, as the brain remains hypervigilant long after the physical danger has subsided. Rewiring the Brain After Chronic Illness Amy explains how true recovery required learning to retrain her brain and regulate her nervous system. She discusses the therapies that helped her rebuild emotional safety, including: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Somatic ExperiencingNervous system regulationMind-body healingTrauma-informed therapy Rich and Matt expand on the science of brain rewiring, discussing how the subconscious mind, nervous system, beliefs, and emotional responses interact throughout recovery. Restoring Trust in Your Body One of the most powerful moments in the conversation centers around learning to trust the body again. After years of illness, many patients begin questioning every symptom and every sensation. Amy explains how reconnecting with her body's signals, honoring intuition, and rebuilding confidence became some of the most important steps toward recovery. The Missing Piece of Lyme Disease Recovery The discussion challenges the traditional medical model by emphasizing that healing must include more than eliminating infection. Amy argues that complete recovery involves healing the: BodyBrainNervous systemEmotionsSpirit Together, Matt, Rich, and Amy discuss why treating only the physical illness often leaves patients feeling trapped between sickness and wellness. The Power of Agency One of the central themes of the interview is reclaiming agency. Amy shares how ...
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    1 hr and 30 mins
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