A review by elfspectations
Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

4.0

I did like the "whole body healthcare" message near the end after she talked about her recovery. There are so many ways the body can send a "distress signal" that can look one way but actually mean something else. The current way healthcare is set up by separating mental and physical health does such a huge disservice to the patients and means the doctors have gaps in knowledge.

I also liked that the author acknowledged her privilege of coming from a well-off family and having such a strong support system and how many patients needlessly fall through the cracks because of the way the healthcare system and insurance is set up. I'm glad that she was able to share her story and it's unfortunate how many are unable to because they are failed by the system along the way.