Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness: Chapter 18 Summary & Analysis

Susannah's case attracts the interest of Dr. Arslan. He interviews both Mom and Dad about Susannah's symptoms, and even calls Dr. Bailey. Dr. Bailey tells Dr. Arslan that Susannah drinks two bottles of wine per night. Dr. Arslan pursues two diagnoses: postictal psychosis and schizoaffective disorder, the second of which he doesn't share with Mom and Dad. Susannah explains that that diagnosis refers to a disorder in which a person exhibits mood symptoms with psychosis.

Susannah describes an EEG video in which she pushes her help button. She's on the phone, though it's not clear if she's actually talking to anyone. She also talks into the TV remote. A nurse arrives and gives Susannah some pills, and Susannah begins shouting about being on the news.

Susannah describes a hallucination in which she watches a woman talk about her on the news. Susannah feels stupid for speaking to her coworkers and calls for a nurse. She hears one of her roommates, a South American woman, laughing. Suddenly, Susannah can understand the woman saying in Spanish that she's going to record Susannah and pass it on to the Post. The woman then attracts Susannah's attention and tells her that the nurses aren't trustworthy. Susannah panics, pulls out her EEG electrodes, and runs into the hallway. Two nurses catch her and wrestle her to the ground. Susannah loses consciousness.