Brain On Fire Analysis

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Brain on Fire is a memoir detailing Susannah Cahalan’s descent into madness as a result of a mysterious disease. Susannah, who was a witty and intelligent reporter for the New York Post, began having extreme paranoia, hallucinations, and seizures – all of which were chocked up to the stress of life as a journalist in New York City. After severe mental and physical deterioration, a brain biopsy, and the intervention of world-renowned neuroscientist Dr. Souhel Naijar, she was miraculously diagnosed with anti-NMDA-receptor encephalitis; this disease was so difficult to diagnose because it presents as an inundation of degenerative symptoms which aren’t consistent throughout those who contract the disease. Susannah’s recovery and retelling of her harrowing journey through the depths of her mind helped raise …show more content…

One of the simplest coping methods is resentment or fear because it gives you a reason to condemn or ignore the issue at hand. However, what already happened is out of your control, much in the same way that hypothetical disasters are, and approaching these issues cautiously and with a will to understand them will allow you to grow as a person, not foster fear and resentment. It’s better to make peace with your demons, not create new ones. Ultimately, Susannah’s experiences will remain with her forever, but, as she stated in her memoir, “it does not control me or hinder my resolve” (Cahalan 240). I don’t doubt that the loss of control that ruled her life for that fateful month continues to terrify her, but she hasn’t allowed that fear of what she can’t control continue to dictate her life. Susannah’s story is so powerful because it illuminates how powerless we are–and that it’s possible to live with that

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