Susannah Cahalan had just begun a prominent chapter in her adult life. Surrounded by a network of loved ones, she stepped into a promising career as a journalist at a New York newspaper. Her downward spiral from success to chaos, however, began shortly after an imaginary case of bedbugs.
For the duration of one month, Susannah was subjected to unfathomable horrors of an identifiable disease, puzzling doctors and terrifying her family. One million dollar’s worth of medical testing yielded no results, leading to speculation of mental disorder, and possible condemnment to a mental institution. It wasn’t until a man by the name of Dr. Souhel Najjar introduced a technique of diagnosis- a simple sketch of a clock- that Susannah reached a verdict regarding her ailment. She was diagnosed with anti-NMDA-receptor autoimmune encephalitis, causing her to become the 217th person in which this body-attacking-brain affliction was identified.
Because of her nebulous recollection of the month, Cahalan was forced to rely on medical records, interviews with doctors and loved ones, and video recordings in order to recreate her experience. Although this aspect adds to the authenticity of the novel, it also creates ambiguity towards the happenings of the month. The separation of the novel into three sections, “Crazy”, “The Clock”, and “In Search of Lost Time”, allows for a swift read, but in some aspects leads the novel to seem rushed, and lacking of detail that would otherwise further the comprehensibility of the story. Despite this, Cahalan’s novel is truly a reflection of her determined spirit. Her memoir takes its readers on a journey from the pits of desperation to the jubilance of recovery. Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness is dedicated to those without a diagnosis, but stands as a must read for anyone who wishes to partake in a story of prevailing determination.