woman having mental breakdown makes a drawing that exposes the cause thanks to
developments in modern medicine we can live healthier longer lives than ever
before but that doesn't mean medical professionals are perfect even the most
skilled physicians and nurses can improperly diagnose a condition if that
happens the consequences can be grave when Susana Callaghan was hospitalized
for insanity she had no idea she was about to face the fight of her life at
just 24 years old Susana began to suffer from a condition very different than
what her doctors believed it to be that was when an uphill battle to prove that
they were wrong began in 2009 susana callahan was a happy healthy young woman
six months into her first serious relationship and with a job at the New
York Post her future was anything but dim unfortunately all of Susanna's
promising days ahead were put at risk when she suddenly began to experience a
random series of strange sensations throughout her body when she suspected
bedbugs might be the cause she called an exterminator however the possibility of
creepy crawly creatures causing her health woes was quickly ruled out when
the exterminator found no evidence of them overtime susana started to
experience more paranoia hallucinations and seizures so severe that it
eventually got to the point where she was unable to work she was lethargic and
in serious distress susana had no choice but to be admitted to the New York
University Hospital even then it wasn't long before she began acting out
eventually becoming violent with the staff Susana would later compare this
period of her life to something out of a zombie movie she wasn't acting like
herself and was frequently aggressive towards everyone even her friends and
family felt threatened judging from her highly uncharacteristic behavior
Susanna's doctors believed that she was on the verge of a mental breakdown they
eventually suggested that she should be transferred to a psychiatric facility
but before she could leave one man made an unusual suggestion
dr. Zook al-najjar decided to take a deeper look into Susanna's condition as
much as this seemed to be a mental issue he wasn't convinced that the cause was a
straightforward as a nervous breakdown that was when dr. Najjar asked Susanna
to perform a simple task one that would test and change everything all Susanna
had to do was draw a clock as strange as it was from the moment she put the pen
to the paper dr. dejar suspicions were confirmed
Susanna's troubling turn towards insanity was not born only out of her
mind but also her body it turns out she had a rare disease that
was now affecting her mental faculties in some very serious ways the clock that
Susanna drew in front of the doctors showed all of the numbers on the right
hand side while the rest of it remained blank apparently this was a clear
indicator of brain damage soon after the drawing doctor Najjar diagnosed Susanna
with anti-nmda receptor encephalitis a rare condition that causes the immune
system antibodies to attack the brain if this condition had been left untreated
for much longer Susana could have faced a devastating
illness or even death dr. Najjar ultimately saved her life
thankfully Susanna received the life-saving treatment that she so
desperately needed as soon as possible in a stroke of miraculous luck
she was completely cured after spending just one month in the hospital once
fully recovered Susanna wrote a book detailing her experience with the hopes
of it helping others with similar symptoms published in 2012 brain on fire
was even adapted to a film in 2016 starring Chloe grace Moretz as Susannah
today Susannah continues to share her story by
speaking publicly about her experience with this illness her openness might
save the lives of others suffering with untreated brain trauma Susanna is well
aware of how fortunate she is to have been able to resume a relatively normal
life she is not one of the 15 percent who recover but suffer severe cognitive
deficits or even the 20 percent who suffer mild ones
the experience has of course changed her though she's not exactly sure how her
method of communication served as a word of warning for trauma victims everywhere
you