This is a true story. My extremely bizarre brain injury has been misdiagnosed as mental illness since December 1974. It was caused by a type of nervous exhaustion unknown to science draining my mind's fuel to an injurious level. The nerves are still alive but malfunction. It became exacerbated over the following three weeks until non faulty Limbitrol 5 (amitriptyline and chlordiazepoxide - antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs respectively) suddenly temporarily paralysed me in mind and body after being on it for just ten days. Now, my senses, muscles, mind, speech and emotions  are basically only able to function safely for short periods of time owing to a permanently meagre fuel supply becoming expended through use more quickly than its replenishment. Therefore, frequent rests are required to recharge the nerves to avoid a sudden relapse from this  over-depletion. Approximately fifteen of them have occurred with improvement in between, and the major relapses caused inability to walk, speak and communicate, plus each time increasing the symptom's number and severity. The condition has been variously misdiagnosed as catatonic schizophrenia, malingering, hysterical conversion, cerebral allergy and Asperger syndrome, although I had at least four symptoms of the latter up to 1974 and beyond. I have wrongly spent a total of four years in mental hospitals, and over half as a formal patient for refusing medication. It is amazing I survived because this is one of the most serious of illnesses and one of the worst cases of medical misdiagnosis in history. Notwithstanding, I presently look well despite literally only being a few seconds away from suffering a relapse in a number of different ways e.g. 1/ Closing my eyes when insufficiently tired or interested enough in doing it, and it occurred once before in July 1976 2/ Doing movement, thought and speech  to order. Consequently, I do them spontaneously instead. - Stephen Cattier.