He Was Misdiagnosed for 9 Years — Here’s What Doctors Missed | Otto Rothmund | EP 176

What happens when chronic illness, autoimmune disease, and medical misdiagnosis collide with a healthcare system that refuses to listen? In this episode, I sit down with Otto Rothmund, a 23-year-old entrepreneur who spent nine years being misdiagnosed while battling autoimmune encephalitis, Lyme-related complications, and debilitating panic and isolation, and we explore what it feels like to be told your suffering is psychosomatic when your life is falling apart. Otto shares how chronic pain, medical gaslighting, insurance barriers, and missed diagnoses shaped his childhood, education, relationships, and identity, as well as the turning points that finally helped him reclaim energy, hope, and direction through diet, mindset, and perseverance. His story offers insight into invisible illness, patient advocacy, and the emotional toll of long-term illness while reminding us why validation, compassion, and honest inquiry matter so deeply in healthcare. Otto’s courage, clarity, and willingness to speak openly about loneliness, resilience, and rebuilding make this conversation both sobering and deeply hopeful. If this episode resonates with you, please leave a comment with your thoughts, subscribe for more meaningful conversations, and share this with someone who needs to feel seen.

Find more from Otto:
Otto Rothmund:   / ottorothmund  
Convent PHL:   / conventphl  
DJBumpStock: https://x.com/DJBumpStock

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— Chapters —
00:00 - Meeting Otto and Beginning His Story
04:12 - The First Symptoms at Age 12 and Early Misdiagnosis
08:36 - Being Told It Was Psychosomatic
13:02 - Loneliness, Isolation, and Losing a Normal Childhood
17:12 - Lyme Disease, Bartonella, and Autoimmune Encephalitis
21:01 - Diet, Energy, and the First Signs of Recovery
25:05 - Panic Attacks, Food, and Mental Clarity
29:40 - How Diet Changed Anxiety and Motivation
33:05 - Trauma, Gratitude, and Finding Meaning in Suffering
37:02 - Faith, Culture, and the Loss of Community
41:07 - Internet Isolation and Modern Loneliness
45:58 - Learning to Build Healthy Relationships
49:55 - Trust, Exploitation, and Personal Boundaries
54:32 - Struggles With Work, Identity, and Self-Worth
58:41 - Self-Authoring, Healing the Past, and Designing the Future
01:03:02 - Closing Reflections on Growth and Resilience