The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

This is the discussion thread for the Fall 2021 Group Read Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan. Please post your comments here. This thread is not restricted to those choosing this book for task 20.10, feel free to join in the discussion. Warning- spoilers ahead!

The requirement for task 20.10: You must participate in the book's discussion thread below with at least one post about the contents of the book or your reaction to the book after you have read the book.

I'm glad this one was chosen, it's been on my TBR for a long time!

I enjoyed this. It was interesting to see how she had been affected by the illness and how easy it would have been for her diagnosis to be missed and for her not to have recovered. A cautionary tale for anyone working in medicine.

I usually lose interest in books that detail out medical/health journeys. I was hesitant to try this one but was intrigued by her story. Susannah did a great job explaining her illness and symptoms in a way that was relatable and kept my interest.

I can't imagine going through this and am so glad Susannah had her family's support and refusal to accept the early diagnoses she was provided.

I was also glad this one was chosen, as I had been wanting to read it for a while.

I thought it was such an interesting story. I thought she did a great job of writing it as well, considering that for so much of it she had to go based off of what others told her, since she didn't remember it. She also did a good job explaining the more technical medical topics, in my opinion. As someone in the medical field (but not in neuroscience), I thought that it wasn't too "dumbed down", but I feel like a non-medical reader would be able to understand most of it as well. It's hard to find that balance.

I just can't help feeling how lucky she was - other than getting sick in the first place. A few years earlier, or almost anywhere else in the country, and she probably gets a schizophrenia diagnosis and that's it. Scary.

if anyone is interested - i believe this has been made into a movie that is on netflix

Bookwrm526

I have been meaning to read this one for a while, but just never really seemed to get to it on my list. It's amazing how much tension and uncertainty the author was able to build even though you know that it all turns out ok for her.

The descriptions of what was happening were incredibly evocative and terrifying. I can't imagine going through any of this, but she did a very good job of describing it! I'm very glad that she acknowledges how lucky she was to a) have a family who stood by her and advocated for her when she couldn't do it for herself, b) have insurance that at least helped offset the price of the treatments, c) get a diagnosis other that could actually help her get the treatment she needed, and d) experience success with the treatment when so many don't.

I do have to just say, I don't think I would have been quite as understanding and forgiving of the first doctor, the one who insisted that all of her symptoms were the result of alcohol abuse. While I do understand that it was a relatively unknown condition, randomly increasing the amount of alcohol she said she drank for no apparent reason seems like extremely poor and unsympathetic practice to me!

Amy FL

The brain is so complex; we still have a lot to learn about its intricacies. It wasn't surprising then that it took a very persistent doctor to finally figure out that there was something other than schizophrenia going on with Susannah.

Her experience must have been harrowing and her poor family members were likely scared beyond belief. I applaud Susannah's boyfriend for sticking by her and her parents for being such great advocates when she couldn't speak on her own behalf. Very interesting read.