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Recommendations for summer reading: a variety of choices about and by persons living with Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES)

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Psychoeducation: refers to some form of intervention (lecture, support group meeting or published materials) that aims to educate the audience members/readers about a specific health condition, provides coping suggestions and informs about treatment options.  Usually, psychoeducation is provided by health professionals but not necessarily; patients who have educated themselves about their health issues can prove …

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As someone who has PNES, what should I know about the COVID-19 vaccines?

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If we can say anything for sure about COVID-19 is that there is still a lot that we do not know. Making matters worse, at times experts have communicated confusing and contradictory information to the public. One of the clearest examples of these confounding messages can be found in the advice provided regarding mask wearing.  …

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The debate on what to call psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES), non-epileptic attach disorder (NEAD), dissociative seizures, functional seizures, etc. continues

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This feature article was just published by the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) and summarizes meetings that took place last year. https://www.newswise.com/articles/what-should-we-call-psychogenic-non-epileptic-seizures   Note: I will continue to call PNES by this name below since we do not have a better term yet. Why is this important what we call this disorder, you might ask? …

The debate on what to call psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES), non-epileptic attach disorder (NEAD), dissociative seizures, functional seizures, etc. continues Read More »

What if a patient has psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) but does not report any significant psychological trauma?

4 Comments / 2021, News / By

It is important for mental health professionals to be cognizant of this because these patients exist and are encountered in psychotherapists’ offices with certain regularity. For decades if not centuries (if we look back to Pierre Janet and Sigmund Freud) it has been understood that psychological trauma is an important risk factor in the development …

What if a patient has psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) but does not report any significant psychological trauma? Read More »

Shame and Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES): research topic?

6 Comments / 2021, News / By

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by one of the leaders in the field of research of Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES); he proposed a project to several professionals in the field of PNES focusing on a topic that is often overlooked not only in PNES but in many other conditions and a variety of …

Shame and Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES): research topic? Read More »

Studying Emotion, Relationships, and Psychogenic Non-epileptic Seizures (PNES) at Arizona State University

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This month’s blog post comes to us from sunny Arizona, more specifically, Dayana Villarreal, Graduate Student, Arizona State University. Below, you are invited to read about her current research project on PNES. She hopes you may decide to take an online survey that will be used to better understand the inner workings of PNES.   …

Studying Emotion, Relationships, and Psychogenic Non-epileptic Seizures (PNES) at Arizona State University Read More »

You have been told you have alexithymia: Now, what? (Post for patients)

1 Comment / 2020, News / By

Let’s first answer: What is alexithymia? Basically, it means, not having words for emotions (a=not having, lexi=word, thymia=emotion) or in other words, having a hard time identifying and describing feelings.  In psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES), it is quite common to have some degree of alexithymia.  By the way, alexithymia can also occur in individuals who …

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How important is alexithymia in the treatment of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES)? (Post for clinicians)

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Spoiler alert: Important in patients who have PNES and high alexithymia What is alexithymia? Basically, it is, not having words for emotions (a=not having, lexi=word, thymia=emotion) or in other words, having a hard time identifying and describing feelings. In psychology it is associated with two concepts: emotional knowledge (EK) and emotional regulation (ER). EK has …

How important is alexithymia in the treatment of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES)? (Post for clinicians) Read More »

Face Masks: to wear or not to wear when you are living with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) during the Covid-19 pandemic

3 Comments / 2020, News / By

In recent months, I have been asked by a few patients who have been diagnosed with PNES (dissociative seizures) whether it is safe to wear a mask with PNES. On one hand, it is becoming obligatory to wear masks in some states.  We have all seen those signs that say: “If you come into this …

Face Masks: to wear or not to wear when you are living with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) during the Covid-19 pandemic Read More »

Breaking news: Results of a major Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Study for psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (dissociative seizures) just published

5 Comments / 2020, News / By

Recently, Goldstein et al published their results from a randomized CBT treatment versus “treatment as usual” (TAU) study in which treatment outcome in patients who had a history of dissociative seizures was compared (Goldstein et al., 2020). The study is the largest and most well-designed study to date. It included an initial 3-month observation period …

Breaking news: Results of a major Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Study for psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (dissociative seizures) just published Read More »

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