My Month in Hell - Autoimmune Encephalitis Misdiagnosed as a Psychiatric Disorder

Ryann Henn is an ambassador for the International Autoimmune Encephalitis Society. Diagnosed with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, she shares her very personal story of how she was misdiagnosed and mistreated by staff at a well-known rural local hospital.
The goal of this video is to help bring awareness of Autoimmune Encephalitis to medical professionals by shedding light on the repercussions of being misdiagnosed with a psychiatric illness. Psychiatrists, ER attendings, and general practitioners are often the first medical professionals to see these patients at onset. All patients, no matter their age, who present with a first episode of psychosis (FEP), should have a lumbar puncture to rule out AE or a central nervous system disease. Autoimmune Encephalitis mimics bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Antipsychotic agents commonly used for those disorders are refractory with AE patients. Indeed, antipsychotic agents make affected patients much worse, even to the point of developing something akin to neuroleptic malignant syndrome.
Ryann's goal for this video is to enlighten medical staff to think outside the box of AE’s common mimics when patients present with FEP. Ryann was misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder, mania, and borderline schizophrenia. As her brain was inflamed and under attack by her own immune system, the delay in an accurate diagnosis and treatment dramatically escalated her encephalitis. Ryann’s wish is that no one has to endure what she did. Ryann still struggles with the trauma she endured being misdiagnosed and put on a psychiatric hold. Ryann fought using all the inner strength she could muster until she finally got the help she needed.
Autoimmune Encephalitis is treatable and reversible. Most patients are left with some level of life-long cognitive deficits. Early diagnosis and aggressive treatment result in the best outcomes. “Time is Brain.”
The International Autoimmune Encephalitis Society, (IAES), is the only Family/Patient-centered organization for people with a diagnosis of Autoimmune Encephalitis. Leading with integrity, IAES strives to advance services, education, increased awareness, and research for this group of diseases.
IAES provides science-based information backed by trusted medical experts in the field of autoimmune neurology and relies on the expertise of its Medical Advisory Board. IAES is an established non-profit organization with a history of supporting all-inclusive services from diagnosis to recovery and the many challenges experienced in that journey.
Visit our website: www.autoimmune-encephalitis.org
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