Rant incoming.
He doesn't have a "severe autoimmune disorder" he has a made up condition called "chronic Lyme" that was diagnosed by a quack trying to sell him on expensive therapies.
Chronic Lyme shouldn't be confused with post treatment Lyme disease syndrome, the latter being an actual recognized condition. The difference is the former is a made up condition used by quacks to milk money out of patients with either mental health issues experiencing somatization disorders or yet undiagnosed illnesses, by selling them on expensive treatments like "stem cell therapy" or chronic antibiotic infusions. Avril Lavigne is another that was duped by a charlatan diagnosing her with chronic Lyme. Post treatment Lyme disease syndrome probably also has a lot of overlap with somatization disorders, but the difference is that there is no recommendations for ineffective, expensive therapies with the intent to milk patients out of money.
Reading up on this guy's story, sounds like he doctor shopped until he found one who told him something he wanted to hear based on the number of "misdiagnoses" he has been previously given.
It's not a wonder that he has several comorbid psych conditions, as well. This tends to be the case with individuals with fake conditions like "chronic Lyme" or "adrenal fatigue syndrome".
This has all become increasingly more prevalent in the age of TikTok, but instead of fake disorders, young people are now showing up to the hospital claiming to have real conditions like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome or mast cell activation syndrome or gastroparesis that they either pressured other doctors to give them these diagnoses or gave themselves these diagnoses in what I can only presume are attempts at gaining attention and sympathy from others.
Just in the last 10 years I've been working in the ER, it seems the incidence of "Munchausen by internet" has increased tenfold. It seems I can't go more than 2-3 shifts without interacting with one of these individuals, who despite clearly being in normal physical health, seem to need to come to the ER weekly for various complaints that seem to almost always center around needing pain medication.
It seems to be a sad existence, so I do pity these individuals, but it can be draining interacting with them frequently as these individuals tend to be very demanding and take my time away from patients that are actually having medical emergencies.
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