" It’s hard for me to hear about the things that I believed during my madness. "
- Susannah Cahalan

The statement reflects a personal struggle with confronting past beliefs formed during a period of mental illness. It conveys a sense of difficulty and emotional pain that arises when revisiting thoughts or actions taken while one was not mentally stable.

On a deeper level, this quote highlights the complex emotions associated with recovery from mental health challenges. The speaker is grappling with the reality of their previous state versus what they now recognize as delusions or misinterpretations. This process can be incredibly challenging because it forces individuals to reevaluate and often reject parts of themselves that were once thought to be true and integral during a time of cognitive disarray. It’s about accepting the fallibility of one's mind when compromised by illness, and finding ways to move forward without being hindered by past delusions.

Susannah Cahalan is an American journalist and author who has written extensively about her experience with autoimmune encephalitis, a severe brain disorder that caused her to suffer from paranoid schizophrenia-like symptoms. Her book "Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness" recounts this period in vivid detail, providing readers with profound insights into the struggles of mental illness and recovery.