The Neuroscientist Who Lost Her Mind: My Tale of Madness and Recovery

Brain diseases, head injuries, and age-related changes can affect our behavior, destroy personality, and distort memory. What does a person feel and how do they perceive reality when the illness affects different areas of their brain? Which parts of our “self” remain with us even when so much is gone? How does everyday life change when our “main processor” starts to malfunction? And how can you tell that something is wrong?

Neurophysiologist Barbara Lipska devoted her life to studying how the central nervous system works in mental disorders. But one day psychological disturbances began in her own mind (the cause was metastatic brain melanoma). As an experienced specialist, Barbara tried to analyze what was happening to her, didn’t give up, and didn’t surrender. She not only successfully coped with the exhausting disease, returning to her research and triathlon competitions, but also shared with readers her unique experience—showing every stage of the changes she went through.

This is Barbara’s story, written together with journalist Elaine McArdle. It’s dedicated not only and not so much to fighting a serious illness. What you have in front of you is a very sincere, gripping, and inspiring story about courage, love, overcoming difficulties, support, understanding, and accepting yourself.