For many it may have taken months to years to reach the point of lying in the hospital bed hearing the words: you don’t have “epilepsy,” you have something we call “psychogenic non-epileptic seizures” or “non-epileptic attack disorder.” Getting here may have involved being seen by more than one doctor, receiving all sorts of other […]
Six months ago, Prof. Markus Reuber and one of his doctoral graduate students launched a research study in which patients diagnosed with PNES and epilepsy were invited to participate in a writing experience that tested whether this helped them feel more in control of their condition and reduce their seizures and improve their quality of
New International Research Project for persons living with PNES (NEAD) Read More »
This year’s conference promises to be superb. We are honored to have as our invited speaker, pediatric neuropsychiatrist, Dr. Rochelle Caplan of UCLA (http://people.healthsciences.ucla.edu/institution/personnel?personnel_id=8660) and we will have several other wonderful speakers talking about both PNES diagnosis and treatment in adults and children. We are also working to set up talks by a few new
When I was a kid, I was not especially athletic. Rather, I was more on the bookish side of things. In fact, I am a bit ashamed of admitting but on more than one occasion, I convinced my mother to obtain a medical note for me so that I would be allowed to not participate
From time to time, I invite persons who have experience with PNES and who have useful information to share with others, to post on this blog. Author of the wonderful book “View From the Floor: Non-epileptic seizures: A patient’s perspective”, Kate Berger, is sharing her knowledge and essential tips on how to navigate the school
I remember like it was yesterday, while still a fellow in training, an attending doctor said: Lorna, when you start publishing in the future, make sure you don’t just publish noise. When I asked what he meant by that, he explained that too many articles published in scientific journals are just noise, static like on
I absolutely love this book! View from the Floor is such a delightful book that even after reading it 2 times, I still find it shakes me with its honesty and its superb writing style. Kate Berger speaks in a clear and strong voice throughout and shares generously with the reader. If you have ever
View from the Floor- Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures: A Patient’s Perspective Read More »
Although psychogenic seizures are definitely not a new disorder and are certainly a grave and often severely disabling health problem, there are painfully few new research studies that examine novel treatment options that might benefit persons suffering from PNES. So, I was especially pleased when I heard about this new project that is being conducted
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
Today’s blog is the result of a profound series of conversations I recently had with someone. We were talking about a harmful emotion that can result from experiencing abuse: Hatred. Hatred is different than anger. Anger is an emotion. It is, like all other emotions; it’s neither right or wrong nor good or bad. It
