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im gonna do a tiny thread on my seizures bc ik a lot of people either don't know abt them or don't talk abt them, so you're free to read and stuff!
TERMS IN THIS THREAD:
conversion disorder: a physical disorder caused by psychological means
psychogenic: same meaning as conversion disorder essentially
nonepileptic: seizures that aren't caused by epilepsy
(ill add more if i think of any!)
conversion disorder: a physical disorder caused by psychological means
psychogenic: same meaning as conversion disorder essentially
nonepileptic: seizures that aren't caused by epilepsy
(ill add more if i think of any!)
WHAT IS IT?
this disorder is called PNES, or psychogenic nonepileptic seizures. it's a conversion disorder caused by extreme stress, trauma, and anxiety. it can affect anyone, especially people who have C-PTSD/PTSD as well as anxiety disorders
this disorder is called PNES, or psychogenic nonepileptic seizures. it's a conversion disorder caused by extreme stress, trauma, and anxiety. it can affect anyone, especially people who have C-PTSD/PTSD as well as anxiety disorders
MORE ABOUT:
the body reacts to stress and anxiety in a different way than when you have a panic/anxiety attack, so instead of one of those, the body converts the mental cause into physical symptoms - convulsions. they look identical to epileptic seizures which makes it hard to /1
the body reacts to stress and anxiety in a different way than when you have a panic/anxiety attack, so instead of one of those, the body converts the mental cause into physical symptoms - convulsions. they look identical to epileptic seizures which makes it hard to /1
detect, which is why the only way to actually test for it is through standard epilepsy testing. the seizures arent triggered by what epilepsy's triggered by, & if it is its because you were already sensitive to it in the first place (eg getting overwhelmed by flashing lights) 2/2
WHAT HELPS
the only actual treatment for the disorder is therapy (learning to deal w stressful sit., working through trauma, etc) or if it works for you, anti-anxiety medications like ativan. i was put on a few seizure medications and nothing worked or they made things worse
the only actual treatment for the disorder is therapy (learning to deal w stressful sit., working through trauma, etc) or if it works for you, anti-anxiety medications like ativan. i was put on a few seizure medications and nothing worked or they made things worse
HOW CAN I HELP?
first and foremost you need to BELIEVE the person telling you about this disorder. theres a lot of stigma surrounding PNES and it leads to people not being believed or taken seriously because it's caused by something psychological. second, the seizures act like /1
first and foremost you need to BELIEVE the person telling you about this disorder. theres a lot of stigma surrounding PNES and it leads to people not being believed or taken seriously because it's caused by something psychological. second, the seizures act like /1
epileptic seizures do, and are identical to them visually. look up how to care for someone who is seizing and follow that protocol. the person who has the seizures will usually know at least a few seconds in advance, so they can warn you. they will extremely exhausted after /2
and will need a drink of water once they can sit up. i also experience bad headaches afterwards from lack of oxygen, so pain medication should be on hand if they need it as well 3/3
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
PNES is a condition that even medical professionals don't take very seriously. the diagnosis time can take up to seven years to do, and people are stuck in a limbo of not knowing what's wrong with them because of the lack of knowledge or care abt this /1
PNES is a condition that even medical professionals don't take very seriously. the diagnosis time can take up to seven years to do, and people are stuck in a limbo of not knowing what's wrong with them because of the lack of knowledge or care abt this /1
disorder, which is unfair to the people who have it. we deserve better, and we want people to be more educated on what this is, because it's real and it's disabling. we want support and help that doesn't take almost ten years to get 2/2
WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE?
talk to people you know who have it for the most accurate and personal experiences, but here's some credible links to look through!
https://www.aafp.org/afp/2005/0901/p849.html#:~:text=Psychogenic%20nonepileptic%20seizures%20are%20episodes,somatic%20manifestations%20of%20psychologic%20distress
https://www.epilepsy.com/article/2014/3/truth-about-psychogenic-nonepileptic-seizures
https://nonepilepticseizures.com/epilepsy-psychogenic-NES-faqs-typical-syntoms.php
talk to people you know who have it for the most accurate and personal experiences, but here's some credible links to look through!
https://www.aafp.org/afp/2005/0901/p849.html#:~:text=Psychogenic%20nonepileptic%20seizures%20are%20episodes,somatic%20manifestations%20of%20psychologic%20distress
https://www.epilepsy.com/article/2014/3/truth-about-psychogenic-nonepileptic-seizures
https://nonepilepticseizures.com/epilepsy-psychogenic-NES-faqs-typical-syntoms.php
IN CONCLUSION
if you made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read this! as someone who has struggled with PNES for about six years now, it's definitely put my life on a complete standby. all i can say is thank you for reading this, and thank you for believing me
if you made it this far, thank you for taking the time to read this! as someone who has struggled with PNES for about six years now, it's definitely put my life on a complete standby. all i can say is thank you for reading this, and thank you for believing me
