![]() Najjar was a neurologist who believed correctly that Cahalan's symptoms were more likely a result of something neurologically wrong with her nervous system rather than a psychological phenomenon. Despite all of these attempts to figure out what was going on, none of the proposed treatments were successful at reversing her symptoms.ĭr. Other doctors simply wrote off her symptoms as psychosis, which produces those same symptoms. This misdiagnosis led to medication that had no effect on Cahalan's symptoms. Schizophrenia is also relatively common, affecting about 1% of adults in the US. ![]() Also, schizophrenia most often presents with symptoms while a person is in their twenties or thirties, the age that Cahalan was at the time of her initial diagnosis. It is also capable of producing disorientation and delusions, such as the persecutory delusions that she was experiencing. ![]() Schizophrenia can present itself with auditory hallucinations, like the ones Susannah was experiencing. Many of those first doctors recommended that Susannah seek medical attention for her alcohol withdrawal, but this was not effective. Notably, delirium tremens is common in alcohol withdrawal which can cause hallucinations, erratic behavior, and seizures. It is well known that chronic alcohol users who stop their alcohol use cold-turkey experience many of these same symptoms. ![]() At first, the simplest and most predictable diagnosis was alcohol withdrawal. At this point, she was seen by several doctors, many of whom incorrectly diagnosed her symptoms. ![]()
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