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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
Who doesn’t love a good memoire. This was a great listen. To think about how she could have just been locked up and forgotten if she didn’t have loved one willing to fight for her and refuse to just label her as “crazy.” New fear unlocked
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
informative
medium-paced
emotional
informative
medium-paced
[4.5]
This may be the first memoir/non-fiction that has felt like it read like a thriller. Cahalan's story is just so intense and literally until she was able to obtain a diagnosis, there was no room for peace and calm. Even after the diagnosis, I was invested in seeing her recover so I was still on the edge of my seat until the very end. I honestly believe that she couldn't have told her story better. It was excellently written and I was immediately hooked.
Initially, I realised that maybe (just maybe) this wasn't the right time for me to read this book. I am currently going through a diagnostic journey. I have no name to the pain I'm in every day. I know that how I am at the moment is not how I should be. So the paranoid in me looked for similarities in the initial stages of her illness. As it got worse, I realised that this couldn't explain my condition (my pain/symptoms are way milder and actually somewhat manageable at times, I just have a tendency to get paranoid). However, despite this not being an illness I could relate with, I still felt the intense anxieties that accompany a diagnostic journey. This book captures this perfectly.
It is obvious that a personal account by Cahalan is going to reiterate certain biases that she reflect her experience. For instance, when she gained weight during recovery, she referred to herself as a roasting pig. Whilst immediately I find this line of thinking to be harmful, she is attempting to recount how she was processing the impact the illness had on her. She isn't trying to be offensive with how she thought about herself, but it still made me a little uncomfortable to read about it. There were also moments where there seemed to be a knee-jerk reaction subtly maintain some ignorance beliefs about mental illnesses and treating those health issues. Again, this is a personal account and she's going to be honest about how she was dealing with the whole thing, and incidentally that may include small ignorances about internalised stigma against mental health (i.e. parents getting heated/insulted at mention of mental illness, like they were insulted by the insinuation of a mental health issue, also Cahalan herself rejected therapy during recovery despite anxiety and depression symptoms because she thought that doing so would be admitting she was still bad and weak). It's not bad but it does pop up enough throughout the book to be noticeable.
Overall, I was completely enthralled reading this. It was intense and amazingly written. I'm so glad I read it, granted I wish I had read it at another time when I'm not currently anxiously awaiting a diagnosis.
This may be the first memoir/non-fiction that has felt like it read like a thriller. Cahalan's story is just so intense and literally until she was able to obtain a diagnosis, there was no room for peace and calm. Even after the diagnosis, I was invested in seeing her recover so I was still on the edge of my seat until the very end. I honestly believe that she couldn't have told her story better. It was excellently written and I was immediately hooked.
Initially, I realised that maybe (just maybe) this wasn't the right time for me to read this book. I am currently going through a diagnostic journey. I have no name to the pain I'm in every day. I know that how I am at the moment is not how I should be. So the paranoid in me looked for similarities in the initial stages of her illness. As it got worse, I realised that this couldn't explain my condition (my pain/symptoms are way milder and actually somewhat manageable at times, I just have a tendency to get paranoid). However, despite this not being an illness I could relate with, I still felt the intense anxieties that accompany a diagnostic journey. This book captures this perfectly.
It is obvious that a personal account by Cahalan is going to reiterate certain biases that she reflect her experience. For instance, when she gained weight during recovery, she referred to herself as a roasting pig. Whilst immediately I find this line of thinking to be harmful, she is attempting to recount how she was processing the impact the illness had on her. She isn't trying to be offensive with how she thought about herself, but it still made me a little uncomfortable to read about it. There were also moments where there seemed to be a knee-jerk reaction subtly maintain some ignorance beliefs about mental illnesses and treating those health issues. Again, this is a personal account and she's going to be honest about how she was dealing with the whole thing, and incidentally that may include small ignorances about internalised stigma against mental health (i.e. parents getting heated/insulted at mention of mental illness, like they were insulted by the insinuation of a mental health issue, also Cahalan herself rejected therapy during recovery despite anxiety and depression symptoms because she thought that doing so would be admitting she was still bad and weak). It's not bad but it does pop up enough throughout the book to be noticeable.
Overall, I was completely enthralled reading this. It was intense and amazingly written. I'm so glad I read it, granted I wish I had read it at another time when I'm not currently anxiously awaiting a diagnosis.
This is absolutely amazing, moving, profound, courageous, frightening, troubling and - at the same time - hopeful. Susannah is a remarkable author, even more so in spite of her disease. Her honesty and attitude are enlightening. Incredible.
A must read for doctors, especially.
But to anyone who wants to learn, read this! :)
A must read for doctors, especially.
But to anyone who wants to learn, read this! :)
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
This was incredibly informative read. The pacing was a bit slow for me, and there were times when the medical/scientific talk was more than I was up for, but I still learned a lot. I appreciate the author's transparency with her experience, as well as her efforts to help others.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Both harrowing and inspiring! This woman is a medical marvel and Dr Najjar deserves all the plaudits and accolades!
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
really well written and enjoyed it. not perfect but close to it.