This won’t be a surprise to many patients who have been diagnosed with PNES but some of you may be astonished to read: Very little if anything. Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures can go misdiagnosed for an average of 7.2 years.1 In an attempt to remedy this devastating delay, the National Association of Epilepsy Centers-NAEC has established […]
In the last couple of weeks, an article started to appear in different social media outlets in which a neurologist was quoted as saying that an important contributing factor in functional illnesses (including seizures and paralysis) in children is that their parents are showering the children with “too much love and attention.” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/hay-festival/11640715/Parents-can-be-too-nice-to-their-children-neurologist-warns.html There seems
This weekend, I was reading a paper by Dr. Gaston Baslet and his colleagues (Treatment of Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures: Updated review and findings from our mindfulness-based intervention case series, 2014 Clinical EEG and Neuroscience). On page 9 the authors discuss something that was not the main topic of the paper, but that struck me as worthy
Challenges in the management of Psychogenic seizures: Are we playing a role in this? Read More »
My name is JJ and I am 22. My seizures have been a sporadic problem since I was 13. They really became a problem December 2013. I had quit drinking in September, I later discovered my alcoholism was suppressing my seizures. My seizures became unbearable, I was unable to do the things I used
Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures: Love and Light Read More »
Patients diagnosed with PNES sometimes share with me that they have encountered people who seem to think that they should be able to stop the seizures by somehow willing them away. Those who hold this erroneous belief are not only from the general public but also health professionals (e.g. emergency medical personnel, doctors and nurses
Why can’t you just stop having these Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNESs)? Read More »
The year 2014 has been very important for the raising of awareness and education about psychogenic non-epileptic seizure (PNES). On January, Psychogenic Non-epileptic Seizures: A Guide was published and has now sold almost 400 copies. Some patients and family members decided to share this book with their neurologists and mental health professionals and wrote me
Even though psychogenic disorders, including psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) have been around for centuries, they continue to be the subject of ignorance and stigma. Often, the general public as well as health professionals (including emergency medical personnel, neurologists, and mental health professionals) do not understand them and can end up making things worse. Patients and
KT has written this powerful poem about her struggle with her mysterious illness-psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) and the importance of finally being told what it was exactly that she has been suffering. She has generously agreed to share with us and we thank her for that. Friends-close friends from near and far decide it is
For the past year or so I have had a survey up on www.nonepilepticseizures.com homepage. It asks: How long have you been suffering non-epileptic episodes? 109 responses were received. Note that this is not a scientific survey that is based on those who wished to respond. Over 40% reported that PNES has been part of
Why do Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) become chronic for so many? Read More »
My psychogenic seizures began like this: I was exposed to “Workplace Bullying.” Even though I had exemplary yearly evaluations my supervisor began the bullying and as it increased I reported it to the head boss. They planned to have 5 back to 5 meetings in one day with him and others (there’s a term for
Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures: Ming shares her story of living with PNES Read More »
