The Morgellons Disease Affects Joni Mitchell

Joni Mitchell, 80, will perform for the first time in her more than 50-year career at the 2024 Grammy Awards event on February 4, according to a news release from the Grammys.

In addition to appearing at the awards event, Joni has been nominated for a Grammy in the Best Folk Album category for her 2023 album, Joni Mitchell at Newport [Live]. According to NPR, the nine-time Grammy Award winner’s nominated CD is a recording of her appearance at the 2022 Newport Folk Festival, which was a surprise performance and her first time taking the stage since suffering a brain aneurysm in 2015.

In David Yaffe’s 2017 biography Reckless Daughter: A Portrait of Joni Mitchell, Joni stated that she was suffering from a strange condition known as Morgellons disease. “I have this weird, incurable disease that looks like it came from outer space,” she stated in the book.

With her historic concert approaching, you may be wondering what Morgellons disease is and how Joni Mitchell has dealt with it over the years. Here’s everything you should know about Morgellons.

The Centers for disorder Control and Prevention (CDC) refers to the ailment as a “unexplained dermatopathy” or skin disorder, according to the Mayo Clinic.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the disorder is characterized by the “belief that parasites or fibers are emerging from the skin,” which causes acute itching and sensations of something crawling, biting, or squeezing the skin.

Doctors disagree on the disease’s origin. According to WebMD, some medical professionals believe Morgellons is a physical ailment, while others say it is a sort of psychosis known as “delusional parasitosis,” in which the sufferer believes parasites have attacked their skin.

Treatment strategies for Morgellons differ depending on the etiology identified by the doctor. Blood tests and skin samples are typically taken, and a treatment plan is developed once the results are returned.

If a bacterial infection or tick-borne sickness is suspected, some doctors may prescribe antibiotics. According to Medical News Today, treatment may be performed if any skin lesions are open or long-lasting.

According to the Mayo Clinic, medical professionals who diagnose the condition as delusion or mental illness frequently treat it with antidepressants, antipsychotic medications, and cognitive behavioral therapy.