Why We Must Be Cautious

Recently, someone told me about the book Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan. Shockingly, this true story is about how the author went through a month of symptoms that resembled schizophrenia, dissosciative fugue, as well as dementia. Prior to this, she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Apparently, she woke up one morning and didn't know who she was, or what was going on. She had been having violent episodes and delusions, and no one knew what was wrong with her. She went through test after test, and was diagnosed with all kinds of psychological disorders. In the end (SPOILER ALERT), one doctor realized almost by accident that the cause of this all stemmed from a biological cause. It turns out that Cahalan had Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis, which was only categorized as a disease in 2007. This autoimmune disease caused half of her brain to be inflamed, which prompted her symptoms. Apparently, this didn't show up in any other tests, and doctors assumed that she was crazy and that it was all in her head. What's weirder is that apparently there are a number of people with this easily treatable disease who don't have a diagnosis and are left to suffer.
My point in sharing this story is to highlight why doctors must be extraordinarily careful in diagnosing and treating patients with psychological disorders. If a person is incorrectly diagnosed and treated, the results could end up badly. Also, many people in previous years who may have been diagnosed with any of the psychological disorders that Cahalan was diagnosed with but were not responsive to treatment may have had similar health problems as her, but this may have never been identified. When treating anything that has to do with the brain, one must use caution and not make hasty decisions, for there is much at stake.