My Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan (Essay Sample)

Memoir Review
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Part I: Summary of the Psychological Disorder, Symptoms and Examples
The memoir 'My Brain On Fire: My Month of Madness' by Susannah Cahalan addresses the psychological disorder of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis. This disorder is not given a specific DSM diagnosis, as it is a relatively newly-recognized disorder. However, some of the symptoms of this disorder may overlap with those of other disorders listed in the DSM, such as schizophrenia and psychotic disorder.
Symptoms of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis may include hallucinations, delusions, memory loss, behavioral changes, and altered levels of consciousness. For example, the person may experience hallucinations in which they see, hear, or feel things that are not actually present. They may also develop delusions, which are fixed beliefs that are not based in reality and that are difficult to change even when faced with evidence to the contrary. Memory loss is also a common symptom of this disorder, and the person may have difficulty recalling events that occurred prior to the onset of their symptoms. Additionally, they may exhibit changes in their behavior, such as becoming more agitated or aggressive, or they may have a decreased level of consciousness and appear drowsy or unresponsive.
In the memoir, Susannah Cahalan describes experiencing hallucinations, delusions, and memory loss. For example, she describes hallucinating that her father was a terrorist and that her hospital room was being invaded by agents who were trying to kill her. She also developed delusions, such as believing that her doctors were part of a