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Susannah Cahalan tells us her harrowing story of being diagnosed with a rare neurological disease that nearly ruined her life and her mind.
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Right I told of the -- all of the show.
They're very rarely and -- -- -- remember the last time before this about picked up a book and read it in one sitting well that's exactly what I did.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Is my month of madness CC eight -- really extraordinary story imagine you're you're 24 years old.
You're successful talented reporter in your first real job -- the New York Post which of course is a newspaper owned by the parent company of this network.
You wake up in the hospital one day changed to the bad.
God lead and you have no idea how you -- that.
No idea really -- the last few weeks or months of your life went -- cash -- how -- It's heartening to say -- a lot of people get a run on shore up but I -- corrected myself this is a truly.
Amazing book and maybe the best place to stop.
It as you do in the book is is that day when you woke up in the hospital tell us a little bit about what was going through your mind that that point.
So you know it's such a strange memory I wake up I have no clue where am.
I feel confused and I'm angry.
And I slowly pieced together -- I'm in new York and I try to move and I realize I'm being held held down that I later -- that that was actually.
A chest -- which is like a straitjacket right.
Senate kind of put this and it ends -- would.
What do you think has happened.
I just absolutely no idea actually -- -- -- is complete confusion and anger to look why are you holding hear me here against my well.
So we don't -- to the beginning and this appears as far as your way to a full stop it.
When that guy a couple of things that that was it a guy sneezed on you on the subway you woke up one day with a couple of -- what looked like by Sonya on your left arm and he -- studied.
Worrying about all these things and and your mind just took over from them.
Yeah and that it became fixated on things that I normally would it was sold normally -- at my personality so that they like I had bed bugs when an exterminate.
There -- told me I didn't.
I thought that my boyfriend -- was you know wonderful guy was cheating on me and I rifled through his things in -- -- -- that includes -- is kind of this fixation.
At session that's our answer my personality.
And -- fairly rapidly you went downhill yes there -- tell us about some of the the the worst episodes.
So.
I know I started being able to do my job at work I would come -- And at at near post and I would start crying hysterically crying the next minute laughing and laughing like I've never -- perform my life.
And that would I would just fluctuate between those two things throughout the day the point where actually my coworkers were so concerned that they want to call my parents and they thought I was actually having a nervous breakdown and.
And eventually they did he start going through various appointments.
Tried to first call was your gynecologist.
The that you -- -- very psychiatrist for your parents are trying to help you took you back home.
And I did there was a woman's story in here which really struck me which I I think was one of the most jarring.
What do you I think it was a father I give your parents were divorced your father was driving back to his place and you're in a taxi in New York.
And you suddenly start screaming that he's kidnapping you telling the cab driver to stop.
You at that point loss to -- I guess one of the better expression.
Yeah I mean that's point I have to rely on outside people to tell me these things -- -- hardly remember that this you know experience but basically what I can hold.
Is that I was screaming I was still.
Certain that my father had kidnapped me against my well and I would do anything to get out of my cart had to jump out of a moving vehicle just to get away from him.
So but ultimately.
They take you to the hospital and why you -- don't great hospital.
Out but -- you're on the you put on the epilepsy -- And all these -- their million dollars worth of tests and they couldn't find out what was wrong with.
Yeah I mean really every single test you can think got by got during that time so I mean it was spinal taps it was MRIs cat and everything came back clean on paper I was a healthy.
Person but you know -- I have is getting worse and worse and I went the hospital psychotic he's I was violent.
I know I've kicked them prisoners in fact I tried to escape I was actively hallucinating at that time to.
And then as it as it went for it for an erratic start to become catatonic.
-- heard just having absolutely no emotional wreckage there and -- my hands out of these you know.
These two straight at me like a -- you know this is kind of it as a disease progressed I was getting closer and closer to a comatose state since.
Terrifying story and those -- all of these doctors not able to diagnose anything -- diagnosing many things and all of them being run and then you have this.
One pioneer adopted dog I'm -- president doctor Su home Asia now I got -- to see how has yet.
Comes in to your life -- your team of doctors.
And it cost you to do a simple sketch tell us about that he.
-- -- piece of paper and he asked -- job clock.
And I get the circle.
And I -- all the numbers and one through twelfth on the right hand side.
Completely neglecting the left hand side so that proved to him at that point there was still talk that this might have a psychiatric this might be a psychiatric condition I was.
Going through.
But that was his proof that this -- neurological this was not psychiatric.
-- and then so did he diagnose something called.
And team and MDA.
It will autoimmune encephalitis.
What does that mean in layman's terms in layman's terms that means when -- in the body's immune system attacks your brain -- -- separate your own body text your brain yes.
How does that happen.
They don't know I mean that that is still very much a mystery right.
-- -- -- face -- what we -- on this community immune disorder prevents brain nerve cells from communicating with each -- yes look through everything breaks everything I mean.
Basically your body attacks the NMD -- -- which are vital to learning memory behavior everything about yourself and soft and over me.
Is it 217.
People across the glue that being diagnosed with a -- I was at 217 person to diagnose now there thousands of people it's -- less rare than initially thought.
Right this so that that did you know that the white picked up this book.
In the wake all know that it has a that is any relation here told but in the what I what I was doing some.
Some research on line regarding mental health and having gone up to cover the new -- school shootings and that's what brought me to this.
And it just made -- this makes you think really and you say it quite plainly.
How many people at that who have.
This kind of thing happening to them this neurological problem.
Just end up in psychiatric wards the wrong place because they're not being diagnosed through no -- -- I -- it's it's just difficult.
Yes and the disease itself was only discovered in 2007.
-- think about all those people previously I mean.
For this -- -- -- -- kind of put it beautifully acted on paper there was nothing that differentiated me between -- with schizophrenia right.
And -- at that time during high that this -- we were one and same with the only difference that I was -- And you won't really one doctor's decision away from -- what could have been what could have turned into a lifetime of psychiatric hospital -- I was that they were threatening to -- psychiatric -- it was all over my medical records -- see now.
Our be -- before after wrapping up here.
The the I said to the viewers -- the beginning that this is it's a standing it's terrifying but it's also ultimately uplifting the people.
Who -- did you and the help -- get through this aside from these amazing doctors -- post but your family.
And your your boyfriend Stephen -- you'd been dating I think performance gap before this happened.
He stood by you through this are still together.
The -- -- of those close he was very important.
I was extremely excited they're my support structure -- everything from analytic.
I would I definitely would not be sitting here without those people.
On.
Right and the did have you have you said that I know you have because it you've written in here but tell our viewers you you -- to Stephen.
Several times why.
-- why on earth did you stand by me.
You know -- said that he saw something he saw that told me there it's still in there and -- that I was.
He said it's still seeing in -- who is fighting Melissa that's that's why he's hitting it from an incredible.
Person clearly.
Some of one of our view is Sarah writes in and this is this is interest in the Shiite and she's read the book and I'm sure she hasn't read the book that she will.
I know -- you'll read it but she says to -- Harris is off the -- This would be a great episode.
Which we have -- -- talked about a lot and -- you're one of your parents favorite.
My mother -- -- Another nicknamed him doctor house fractionally to -- yeah he's a nice guy they thought I mean kind of curmudgeonly doctor I was scared there he.
Also a an extraordinary story -- while he was about born in Damascus Syria his father.
Full that he was did basically a dumb kid because it was a good very well -- about the private the expense of private -- -- -- Went to public school -- a -- there changes life and now he's.
The I guess would probably one of the greatest neurological -- -- the.
Alley cat hysteria just just tells you how important it is that some believe -- I -- he believed in me at some believe -- -- And you -- -- the -- postal system by and we should say that yes they did a wonderful annual back there as they had great opponent yes all right was one of -- doing so well.
Congratulations on the book.
Which is again a great read I recommend you all go.
Act you fight it and find it an Amazon don't -- -- -- -- books or even -- Barnes & Noble if you can find one of those old fashioned ones that.
There's the website as well up on the screen -- a brain on -- my month.
A man this is an -- talent to Zack Allan great to see you thank you thank you so much for being here really really fascinating story.
All right that wraps it up for -- -- the hunt for today.
Don't forget to tune in tomorrow at 9 AM eastern right here at foxnews.com live.
For a live coverage from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas with Clayton Morris the he will he be all but 9 AM in Las Vegas that's like six -- that.
My word that's not living Vegas anyway -- will be hits -- show join him for it once again thank you to Susanna -- Great to see you it's good great book one of one of the best I've read in a very long time.
Should be a movie should be everything I hope it will be a great to see Susanna.
