I was recently diagnosed with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis

Andrew Gallant, known as 'BurntSushi' in the open-source community, recounts his harrowing experience with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, a rare autoimmune disorder. His blog post details the onset of severe physical and psychological symptoms that rapidly escalated from flu-like discomfort and anxiety to profound psychosis and suicidal ideation.

• Initial Symptoms & Misdiagnosis: The ordeal began with non-specific flu-like symptoms, quickly progressing to crippling anxiety, balance issues, jaw pain, and terrifying psychological symptoms including delusions and auditory hallucinations. This led to an initial diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder and subsequent hospitalization in a psychiatric facility after a fall.
• Healthcare System Challenges: Despite his wife's efforts, the psychiatric hospital initially resisted transferring him for neurological evaluation, believing he had been 'medically cleared'. His escape from this diagnostic trap was facilitated by a fortunate connection: a neighbor who was friends with a neurosurgeon, leading to his transfer to Brigham and Women's Hospital.
• Diagnosis & Treatment: At Brigham and Women's, he received intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and steroids, even before a definitive diagnosis. An MRI revealed a brain lesion, and the official diagnosis of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis was confirmed weeks later via a cerebral spinal fluid antibody test.
• Recovery & Outlook: Gallant is now recovering, tapering off medications, and participating in a clinical trial for satralizumab. He emphasizes the good prognosis for this condition when caught early and expresses immense gratitude to his wife, his employer, and his medical team.

His account serves as a powerful testament to the importance of perseverance in the face of medical ambiguity, the critical support network of loved ones, and the unpredictable nature of autoimmune diseases that can masquerade as severe mental illness.