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. What is one of the […]
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 »
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 »
PNES Poem by Nita Dholakia To wake up in the morning is what I wishWaking up in the afternoon is my truthMorning or afternoon, getting up is my winRelaxed and peaceful sleep is now my dreamJolts and jerks with silent gruntingScreaming from annoying painMy new routine is not plainFeet and Legs want to coordinateWaist says,
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 »
The first time I saw a patient diagnosed with PNES was when I was a neuropsychology fellow at an epilepsy center over 20 years ago. Early one morning, I was in a group of trainees and staff and we were visiting patients on rounds with the attending doctor. Before entering one of the rooms, the doctor
The Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizure Pocketbook: Why I 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 »
For six years straight, the Northeast Regional Epilepsy Group (NEREG), hosted an annual PNES conference for patients, caregivers, and in the last few years, for health professionals too. Our last and sixth conference was held in 2019 and then, as we all know, the world ground to a halt due to the 2020 pandemic. So,
For this month’s blog post, we have the pleasure and honor of having invited writer, Katie Berger, author of “View from the Floor: Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures: A patient’s perspective” share her experiences with us. Wonderfully, she has now been seizure-free for two years, but I urge you to read her story because in it you
In a few weeks, a new book on PNES is going to be published and will be called: The Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures (also known as dissociative seizures) Pocketbook. The word “pocketbook” is in its title because it is meant to be just that: a book that a clinician might carry in her/his pocket for quick
