Book Review: My Brain is Out of Control by Dr. Patrick Mbaya

Publication Date: September 2016
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Formats: Ebook
Pages: 76
Genre: Biography/Autobiography
Tour Dates: October 23-December 15

     

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.

MY REVIEW:

I have to admit I was a little leary about reading this book. My fear was that because it was written by a doctor, some of the terminology and phrases used might be too medical. Thankfully, that wasn't the case at all. 

This book chronicles what happened to Dr. Mbaya after he was diagnosed with a brain infection. The symptoms and aftermath are truly frightening, and how he overcame all of it and was able to tell his story through this book is commendable. 

Easy to read and something that could happen to anyone, I would recommend this book to all. 

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.