My Brain Is Out of Control: Memoirs of a Doctor as a Patient by Patrick Mbaya

"My Brain Is Out Of Control is a fascinating and affecting memoir. But it's also a memoir of great clarity, charting both a medical and an emotional journey. I found it a valuable read. I hope also that the writing of it was a cathartic journey for Mbaya himself. Here's to his recovery!" - The Bookbag

Description:

Published: September 2016

Although Dr. Patrick Mbaya’s illness caused a lot distress and nearly took his life, the emotional symptoms of the depression he developed helped him understand and empathize with patients and how they feel when they become ill. 

In My Brain is Out of Control, Mbaya, fifty-five and at the peak of his career, shares a personal story of how he suffered from a brain infection in 2010 that caused loss of speech, right-sided weakness, and subsequent depression. He tells how he also dealt with the antibiotics complications of low white cell count and hepatitis. He narrates his experiences as a patient, the neurological and psychiatric complications he encountered, how he coped, and his journey to recovery. 

Presenting a personal perspective of Mbaya’s illness from the other side of the bed, My Brain is Out of Control, offers profound insight into battling a serious illness. 

"This is an excellent book that will be of value to anyone who wants to gain a better understanding of what it is like to experience a brain disorder such as an abscess, stroke or encephalitis. The author’s description of his emotional and physical symptoms shows how the boundary between neurological and psychiatric illness is often blurred. His positive outlook through adversity, and his recovery, make it an inspiring account that should give hope to patients and families dealing with similar illnesses. I also recommend this book to health care professionals so that they can better appreciate illness and health care from a patient perspective." - Peter Hadad

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About the author:

Dr. Patrick Mbaya is a medical doctor specializing in psychiatry. He is a consultant psychiatrist and honorary clinical lecturer in psychiatry at the University of Manchester, United Kingdom. He has a special interest in mood and addiction disorders.

Website ** Goodreads