C&C Disease

Deadly Ebola is in the news. Here is another deadly disease, which is spreading very fast across the globe: C&C Disease.

Clueless: Governments all over the world have no clue about this disease. It is spreading very fast from China in the East to the United States in the West. It has already affected millions of people in India.

What is it? C&C Disease is a chronic disease with high morbidity (disabling effects) and mortality (deaths). It is highly contagious. No one is immune to it. No identifiable virus or bacteria have been identified as the cause.

Transmission: It is transmitted orally, visually and with a handshake. Symptoms might appear within minutes or gradually over 7 days.

Treatment: Victims are resistant to any treatment. In fact, there is no known treatment. Recognition of symptoms and preventing it from getting worse is the best approach.  .

A curious phenomenon: A curious phenomenon is that victims often deny they have this disease. When someone tries to help the victim of this disease, he/she rebuffs him/her with four words, “YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND!” These four words are diagnostic of this disease.

Symptoms: Any combination of symptoms listed below can appear in the victim.

Physical symptoms: Headache attacks, aches and pains all over the body, chest pain, stomach pain, sweating, sleeplessness, excessive sleeping, tiredness, heartburn, difficulty breathing, heavy sighing, palpitation of heart, trembling of hands, unsteady gait, loss of appetite, diarrhea bouts, frequent urination, hot and cold waves all over the body, bouts of dizziness, blurred vision.

Mental symptoms: Poor concentration, worrying, inability to follow conversation, mind racing, obsession, grandiose and paranoid ideas (suspiciousness).

Emotional: Depression, hopelessness, elation, anxiety, panic attacks, mood swings during which one is excessively elated or depressed, suicidal and homicidal ideas.

Behavioral symptoms: Irritability, hostility, pacing the floor, wringing of hands, excessive talking or not talking at all, talking the same subject over and over again, talking big, going on buying sprees, alcohol and drug abuse, buying big cars, big house, showing off one’s wealth, grand weddings for children, deceiving people and insurance companies, going into heavy debt, and finally filing for bankruptcy.

Medical wild goose chase: Often victims visit various specialists –neurologists, gastroenterologists, E.N.T. specialist, etc.- to discover the cause of the above dreadful symptoms. All tests usually come back negative except perhaps diabetes in some cases.

Misdiagnosis is common: Often these people are referred to psychiatrists for treatment. Ignorant of the C&C Disease, psychiatrists often misdiagnose victims of this disease as suffering from Manic-Depressive Illness a. k. a Bipolar Disorder. Sometimes Psychiatrists prescribe strong and dangerous drugs to control the symptoms. Addiction to sleeping pills, anti-anxiety and narcotic pain pills is common. This complicates the problem of abuse of alcohol and street drugs.

Prognosis: Hopeless.

What is C&C Disease? Well, you guessed it: Comparing and Competing Disease. A large number of Indians in America are victims of this disease.