This book highlights the importance of empathy in the medical profession and calls attention to the grave harm of misdiagnoses that can result from lack of information or simply not taking the time to dive deeper into a parent's case.

By the end, there is also some hope in that though sharing her story, others get access to real help, and medical science is furthered. Even the doctor who had decided she was simply "partying" too hard rather than take her symptoms more seriously (my rage boiled over reading about this man) eventually refers to her experience to direct patients to help.

Part memoir, part call to action, part humane medical text(??), the author weaves us through her month of madness, using interviews, journals, and hospital footage to help complete the story. Engaging, well-done.

I really liked this book, I saw the movie on Netflix so I went to seek this book out. Great read, and it's very interesting and informative on this disease and this woman's experience. Highly recommend.

I'd wanted to read this book back around the time it was published but had completely forgotten about it since (also still want to watch the movie, haven't done that yet). I saw it at Powell's Books in Portland when I was there for a conference, and they had used ones on sale for a really great price. I had also just finished the book I was reading on the plane to the conference, so I was in need of a new book for the way back. The stars aligned and I bought it. I read probably the entire first half of it on the plane ride back and then finished it within the coming weeks. To be honest, I would have finished it sooner but was busy busy (and exhausted) upon returning. Anyways, my point is, this book was one of those ones that captured my attention very early on and kept it throughout. I am a psychology person, so it was extremely fascinating to see the way her disorder presented itself, the psych symptoms she experienced throughout this time in her life, and what diagnosis she ultimately ended up being given. It's an extremely interesting story, and I really appreciate the vulnerability it took to expose this part of her life to everyone (especially as her disorder manifested in some really nasty and sometimes embarrassing (despite the fact that she couldn't control that) ways at many times throughout this period - she did not shy away from talking about all of the behaviors she exhibited due to the disorder nor did she seem to fear readers think poorly of her due to the inclusion of these instances, which I think is extremely admirable).

It's been a while since I read this book, but I do remember appreciating how much she talked about the scientific parts of her disorder and the brain. I have a degree in psychology and work in the field of psychologic research so I did already have a good base knowledge on the subject of neuropsychology, but I thought the majority of the time she did an excellent job at explaining scientific concepts and physiological systems in a way that most people would be able to understand it. I for sure learned a lot, too. Because of who I am as a person and my interests, I would have loved even more, but I know that may have been too much medical jargon for a lot of readers, plus that really wasn't the main point of the book anyways (her experience was rather than the underlying science of what she went through). She did however cite all her sources, meaning any reader can go read more about that (although since it's been a decade since it was published, I'm sure there is MUCH more out there on the topic).

I also appreciate the fact that she did interviews with all the people in her life at the time of the onset of her symptoms and her diagnosis and treatment after the fact to be able to put this book together. This was partly due to lapses in memory during the time, but I think it helps solidify facts and gives her more credibility.

One criticism I have was that she does not seem to fully grasp how differently things would have played out if she didn't have insurance, money, and such a good support system. She mentions it towards the end of the book and talks about barriers in the US healthcare system, but it doesn't feel fully fleshed out. She mentions that there are probably a large amount of people walking around with this rare disorder because they don't have access to care or are being misdiagnosed and mistreated. I do wish though she would have touched on this more. She did such an incredible job at explaining the science behind her disorder and citing all her sources, but I wish she had dug up statistics in relation to misdiagnoses in psych, missed diagnoses and treatment due to inability to afford to go to the doctor, consequences of missed diagnoses or misdiagnoses (incorrect, potentially harmful treatments, losing a job/income/insurance, racking up medical bills for unnecessary appointments and procedures, mistrust for doctors and the hospital due to the inability to recover/ineffective treatments, being institutionalized, becoming incapacitated, or even dying, etc.), and how these things disproportionately affect BIPOC. That being said, this book is from 2012 I believe, and this was not as large of conversation then as it is now, over a decade later. I also am not sure what research existed at the time. This is just something I thought about as this is a topic of interest of mine and something that is commonly discussed in my workplace and in my circles.

I wish I had written a review immediately after reading it as I know I'm forgetting things I would have otherwise mentioned, but truthfully I didn't realize I hadn't written one until today. Regardless, I think this is a fantastic book and totally worth the time it takes to read. If you are at all interested in psychology, neurology, anatomy and physiology, or another related healthcare topic, you will likely really enjoy this book. If you like reading true and inspiring stories about people overcoming adversity, particularly very unique situations, I would definitely recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and it's such a unique, fascinating experience that I am thankful and glad Susannah Cahalan made available for the world.

Admittedly I did read this because she is suffering from the same disease that Will Graham has in Hannibal, and I wanted to read more about it. Her story is both horrific and inspiring.