Jessica Huitson’s journey with tics began at the young age of 12. As time passed, her condition worsened, eventually leading to whole-body fits and emergency hospital visits. However, the medical professionals at her local hospital in Durham, England, dismissed her symptoms as anxiety, attributing them to excessive TikTok use. Her mother was deeply upset by the dismissive attitude they encountered, feeling that Jessica’s symptoms were being belittled. It was later discovered that Jessica was actually suffering from an autoimmune condition caused by a Streptococcus infection, known as PANDAS. Once the infection was identified and treated, her symptoms began to improve.
Unfortunately, Jessica’s experience is not unique. Many individuals with brain-related conditions are often misdiagnosed as having mental health issues. Research shows that infections can sometimes trigger conditions such as OCD, tics, anxiety, depression, and even psychosis. In addition to infections, inflammatory disorders and metabolic conditions are also being recognized as having significant impacts on mental health, although psychiatrists do not typically consider these factors. This points to larger issues within the field of psychiatry, as many underlying causes of mental health issues are often overlooked or misinterpreted.