Modern science has grown by leaps and bounds, with staggering advances happening every single year. Thanks to it, we can now live longer and healthier lives than ever possible before. We wholeheartedly rely on our doctors and nurses to help us reach our best possible state of health. But that doesn’t mean medical professionals are perfect – even the most skilled physicians and nurses can improperly diagnose a condition. And in that scenario, the consequences can be fatal.

Young and spirited, Susannah Cahalan

Young and optimistic at 24 years old, Susannah Cahalan had her whole life ahead of her. And with a loving longtime partner by her side, she was ready to take on the world. But no one could have seen it coming when she was hospitalized for insanity. But Susannah’s condition was very different than what her doctors believed it to be. It was about to be the battle of her life.

The beginning of it all

It all began from the moment when Susannah began to experience indescribable sensations throughout her body. It was a disconcerting feeling, where it felt as if something was crawling all over her body, something she could not see with her naked eye. She assumed it to be a case of bed bugs.

Bed bugs were not the cause of her problems

With a clear culprit established in her mind, she immediately set out to establish things in its proper order – and finally get rid of the uncomfortable sensations. With an exterminator in tow, they searched out every inch of her apartment to look for the said bed bugs. However, this was quickly ruled out; the exterminator found nothing.

It started escalating to something worse…

It only got worse from that point on. In addition to the crawling sensations, Susannah started to experience paranoia, hallucinations, and seizures so severe that it started interfering with her work. She became very lethargic and was in severe agony.

The hospital brought no solace to her

Susannah thought it best to seek professional medical help. She sought refuge in the confines of the institution, but even that brought her no solace. Her condition was only becoming increasingly worse, instead of better. It wasn’t long before she became violent with the staff.

Her aggression extended to her family and friends now

And like a terrible ceaseless nightmare, her suffering was unending. Her aggression was not limited to just the hospital staff but went on to manifest towards the people who came to visit her. It even extended up to her friends and family. Susannah’s health, both physical and mental, was dwindling down a grave road.