They said my brain was ‘on fire’
Susannah Cahalan was in the grips of a strange mystery illness, at risk of losing her sanity and her life. Her eventual diagnosis would reveal a deep stigma around mental health.
Susannah Cahalan was a young, ambitious journalist living in New York City when out of the blue, she started having hallucinations and seizures. She became increasingly paranoid, erratic and psychotic. Her family was terrified and doctors were baffled. Susannah was in the grips of a strange mystery illness and at risk of losing her sanity and her life. Her eventual diagnosis – a rare neurological disorder – would reveal a deep stigma around mental health.
Get in touch: [email protected]
Presenter: India Rakusen
Producer: Maryam Maruf
(Photo: Susannah Cahalan. Credit: Courtesy of Susannah Cahalan)
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- Mon 16 Jan 202312:06GMTBBC World Service
- Mon 16 Jan 202318:06GMTBBC World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Mon 16 Jan 202323:06GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Tue 17 Jan 202300:06GMTBBC World Service South Asia
- Tue 17 Jan 202303:06GMTBBC World Service except South Asia
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