Developer shares anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis diagnosis after severe psychiatric and neurological symptoms disrupted work

The author says they were recently diagnosed with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, an autoimmune condition that causes brain inflammation. They describe flu-like symptoms, severe anxiety, psychosis, balance problems, jaw pain, an ER visit, and an initial transfer to inpatient psychiatric care after symptoms became unsafe to manage at home.

The post highlights how autoimmune brain disorders can initially resemble psychiatric conditions, raising the risk of misdiagnosis and delayed treatment. For people depending on the author’s work, the update sets expectations while also underscoring the broader need to consider neurological causes when sudden psychiatric symptoms appear.

I was recently diagnosed with anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis