) Ok, I have a horrible memory in general, relating this book was pretty easy. However, this guy’s accounts of his memory loss is intense and dramatic.
Everything he experienced, or actually, forgot he experienced, was due to a not-so-rare allergic reaction to a common anti-malaria drug, Lariam. It was given in plentiful form to military and as well as many people traveling over seas. The psychiatric side effects were recorded often, but evidence often buried. It is no longer recommended except in extreme malaria cases. It was later found that it was even used as a drug of torture in camps such as Guantanamo Bay.
The author spent years with a changed personality and constant fear of what he didn’t remember about himself or his life. It took a long time before he was again mentally healthy enough to write this account of his struggle.
Really good memoir. It reminds me how dangerous even prescription and preventative drugs can be – the government doesn’t always protect us from everything it preaches.
Reading Fiend 