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 »
Abandoning the term “psychogenic nonepileptic seizures” (PNES) in favor of “functional (dissociative) seizures” or simply “functional seizures” needs to be examined. We need to consider possible unintended negative consequences of this name change. My sense of urgency comes from a troubling scenario I foresee. Read on and feel free to challenge me on this or
Choosing “functional seizures” over PNES: what might happen Read More »
The nonepileptic seizure Blog has invited author, Linda McClure, to tell us about her book “Mind Games.” It walks the reader through the experience of living with epilepsy and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES), also known as functional/dissociative seizures. This is a unique group of patients, often excluded from research and that can be difficult to
Functional Seizures and Epilepsy: My dual diagnosis Read More »
More often than not, when I first meet my patients, it is evident that most of their lifetimes, self-care has been left by the wayside. My patients have been surviving, working hard, taking care of others, basically treading water for years. And this has shortchanged them in the process. As could be expected, at some
The three items listed in the title of this blog post might seem unrelated but they were part of an article that was published last month. The article drew some useful and thought-provoking conclusions that might be useful for clinicians working with PNES. The study described in “Characteristics of patients diagnosed with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures
Driving, depression, and psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) Read More »
Several times a month, I receive inquiries from psychotherapists who are working with their very first patient diagnosed with PNES or who have run into something unexpected. These therapists have shown initiative by taking to the internet to find resources, which is a great sign. Somehow, they managed to come upon my name and email.
I like a lot of things about the summer months including the warmer weather, the longer days, the fact that New York City becomes less crowded, traveling, and sitting or lying outside resting and catching some sunrays. But what I especially enjoy about the summer is that I get to read the books that have
Writing the “Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures Pocketbook” came about after many years of treating patients with PNES and training other clinicians in treating them. It has been humbling and rewarding to work with families and their children and watch them get better and grow into their adulthood. But this isn’t how my career initially started. In
The Psychogenic non-epileptic Seizures Pocketbook-Why Julia Doss wrote it Read More »
Every year, all profits from the sale of “Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures: A guide” are donated to Epilepsy Alliance America, a wonderful foundation that hosts the Lorna Myers PNES Scholarship. This award is offered to any person living in the USA and who has a diagnosis of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures. The money that is granted can
Join me in congratulating the 2023 Lorna Myers PNES Scholarship awardees! Read More »
