Recently, in a session, I was going on and on about how important self-care is as a way to manage PNES better. My patient stopped me and said, can I ask what do you mean by self-care because for me I’ve started eating more regularly and resting but I wonder if this is what you […]
I am pleased to announce the publication of our Letter to the Editor in Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy:“A call for reflection on unintended consequences: Should ‘functional/dissociative seizures’ replace ‘psychogenic nonepileptic seizures’?”by Lorna Myers, Anton Scamvougeras, Lenka Kramska, and Julia Doss.Read it here: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1nKCV3mqOkYIit The Background on this Letter: The ILAE Proposal and Our Response
Why healthy scientific debate matters for PNES patients’ wellbeing and clinical care Read More »
In the field of Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures (PNES, also known as functional or dissociative seizures), nothing is more important or necessary than delivering treatments that actually work, that therapists can learn quickly and confidently, and that remain truly accessible — both financially and in terms of the time commitment required.This treatment was reported on in
In 2020, epileptologist Selim R. Benbadis published a short but pointed letter to the editor in Epilepsy & Behavior: “Functional seizures? ‘So I still have seizures, right? The piece was in response to the growing enthusiasm for replacing “psychogenic nonepileptic seizures” (PNES) with the term “functional seizures” (or FS). Benbadis pushed back against this rebranding;
In their 2026 article “Approach to the Patient with FND: Evaluation, Diagnosis, and Developing a Treatment Plan,” published in Seminars in Neurology, Michael Daniel DeDominicis and Sarah Lidstone propose reframing functional neurological disorder (FND) as a brain network disorder involving altered predictive processing, attention, and sense of agency. They argue that moving away from older
I invite you to read our most recent blog post coming from a brilliant mind in the world of functional neurological disorder (FND) and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES): Steven Painter, founder and CEO of Neurolog. This is a groundbreaking app for functional neurological disorder symptoms that is poised to help thousands living with these symptoms
With new advances in understanding PNES, there have been changes in how the diagnosis is explained and what the condition itself is named. The shift, recommended by some professionals in the field, emphasizes the biological aspects of the disorder, removes reference to psychological elements (functional seizures), and seemingly provides a wider foundation for how to
I knew something was off as soon as I was standing at the edge of the fence. The female, Sasha, always came up to the fence to say hello to me. A small crowd had gathered in front of their enclosure. My eyes darted around, trying to find out what was wrong. I saw the male, Nico, sleeping on
Saving Stripes: A book about nonepileptic seizures (PNES) and a zoo Read More »
What is a SAP? Seizure action plans are personalized, written documents created with your healthcare provider and include your diagnosis, a description of your typical episodes, and instructions for others witnessing the seizure on how to respond appropriately. They also typically include the name and number of your emergency contact person. Sample SAP:Seizure Action Plan
Seizure Action Plans (SAP) for psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) Read More »
New publication about PNES In 2015, Kate Berger published a remarkable and influential work, View from the Floor: Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures: A Patient’s Perspective. Her candid, unfiltered account—marked by raw honesty, sharp wit, sarcasm, humor, and resilience—offered a powerful perspective that continues to resonate deeply with individuals living with PNES and those who care for
