What is this?
The Lorna Myers PNES Scholarship Fund is a dedicated financial aid program graciously administered by Epilepsy Alliance America and supported financially by Dr. Lorna Myers who donates all royalties from the sales of her book “Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: A guide” to the scholarship. This scholarship supports students who reside in the US and who have a confirmed diagnosis of Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures (PNES) — also known as functional dissociative seizures. It is for students attending trade schools, pursuing vocational training or college or university studies.
Why is this scholarship important?
PNES can potentially be disabling if not treated quickly and appropriately. However, many patients face delays in receiving the correct diagnosis (sometimes years!) and even when they are eventually diagnosed correctly, they are often not provided with proper referrals. Instead most report being simply told “you need to find a therapist” or “you need cognitive behavioral therapy.” No other guidance is provided. As a result, patients report calling lists of therapists and psychiatrists and are turned away because uninformed mental health providers are unfamiliar with the term PNES, nonepileptic seizures, or the newer term, functional dissociative seizures (F/DS). Psychotherapists may hear the word “seizure” and incorrectly believe a neurologist should treat the patient instead, adding to the confusion and treatment delay. Thus, patients continue to suffer from seizures, episodes that can strike unexpectedly, can result in injuries, and progressively limit patients independence and foster isolation.
Why was this scholarship fund established?
The Lorna Myers PNES Scholarship Fund was established to empower individuals diagnosed with Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures (PNES), a condition that is treatable through appropriate therapy. The core vision behind the fund is to provide meaningful financial and motivational support to those who are working hard to achieve seizure freedom. It is meant to inspire recipients to see that they might build brighter futures despite the challenges they have been facing (e.g., nonepileptic symptoms, difficulty in finding treatment and intensive therapies, stigma and prejudices coming from health professionals and the community at large, etc.). It is meant to encourage these individuals to move forward by pursuing higher education, trade school, or professional training.
By recognizing the applicants’ personal achievements and providing financial aid, the scholarship recognizes and honors these individuals’ resilience and fortitude with assistance so they can continue to grow. Someone living with PNES is much more than their seizures and so many individuals with PNES are amazing, bright, and special and have much to offer to the world.
Who is Dr. Lorna Myers?
Dr. Lorna Myers is a clinical psychologist and leading expert who directs a PNES program at the Northeast Regional Epilepsy Group. She has researched and treated adults diagnosed with PNES for over twenty years. She has written many articles in peer-reviewed journals and gives lectures nationally and internationally. In 2014, she wrote “Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures: A guide” for patients and loved ones when she realized how little information about PNES was available to patients. She established this scholarship fund soon after, taking the royalties from her book for patients and giving the earnings back to the community through this scholarship. She also co-authored a book called “The Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures pocketbook” for clinicians who are starting to work with their first PNES case and launched a website Psychogenic Non-epileptic Seizures Education & Training with trainings for psychotherapists.
Applications for the Lorna Myers PNES Scholarship Fund are now open and available (see below). Every year, winners are publicly celebrated (if they give their consent) to raise awareness and a semi-private ceremony is held with the recipients, members from Epilepsy Alliance America and Dr. Lorna Myers once the names are announced.
Lorna Myers PNES Scholarship Fund – Epilepsy Alliance America