Other Functional Neurological Disorder

[cuppanina]

Due to my PTSD, I developed functional neurological disorder. My current FND symptoms are:
-tourette's like tics
-trouble walking
-seizures
-migraines
-fainting
-tremors
-trouble focusing
-trouble swallowing
-chronic pain

I figured I'd make this thread to educate people who don't know what FND is and connect with people who do!
FND is a disorder that borders on psychiatry and neurology. It can cause symptoms with no clear medical cause. Symptoms are NOT intentionally produced. It is a neurological response to stress or trauma

 

[Rose White]

educate people who don't know what FND is

I am in this category. I had never heard of it, but I read a bit and found out that they used to call it conversion disorder which I am familiar with through my interest in psychoanalysis. Very interesting. Sadly I read that the most common meds prescribed are benzodiazepine and other sedatives, but I could understand why.

I was confused about why you emphasized

Symptoms are NOT intentionally produced.

But I think that’s related to how it is connected to psychological origins (trauma-induced.). Sounds like a frightening disorder and I’m glad you want to educate and connect with others.

 

[Weemie]

FND used to be known as Conversion Disorder, which is why a lot of people haven't heard of it.

They changed the name because it used to imply that we were making it up in our heads, but now there is clear evidence that it results from structural anatomical changes to the white matter in our brains, causing connections to form that shouldn't be. This causes a myriad of symptoms similar to how dissociation can cause a wide range of deficits.

I have FND in my hands and leg. My hands freeze up, go cold and get stuck in painful positions. My leg used to be fully paralyzed but I've regained some movement. I also have genuine nerve damage that affects how I move my foot.

When I was younger I used to get so zoned out it was like an absence seizure. That has resolved with time, now I mostly struggle with amnesia (still able to act and speak but forget what just happened). These seizures used to be called pseudoseizures but are now referred to as non-epileptic seizures (PNES).

These types of seizures are common sigh psychological trauma but they can also happen in people who have full-on epilepsy as well. I also struggle with swallowing and feel like I have things (food, meds, etc) caught in my throat even though it's not possible (they would have dissolved). Then I panic and can't eat or drink.

Docs used to try and make me feel better by stressing that it's not intentionally produced but I never cared. I just want these symptoms to stop, I don't care what is causing them.

 

[cuppanina]

I am in this category. I had never heard of it, but I read a bit and found out that they used to call it conversion disorder which I am familiar with through my interest in psychoanalysis. Very interesting. Sadly I read that the most common meds prescribed are benzodiazepine and other sedatives, but I could understand why.

I was confused about why you emphasized

But I think that’s related to how it is connected to psychological origins (trauma-induced.). Sounds like a frightening disorder and I’m glad you want to educate and connect with others.

Emphasis on this part because it's a common misconception I've seen a lot with how FND is described :)

 

[Rose White]

This causes a myriad of symptoms similar to how dissociation can cause a wide range of deficits.

I saw a graphic linking dissociation with FND. What is the connection?

 

[Renly]

I’ve got a lot of body pain (some of which was chronic that has amazingly disappeared since doing EMDR when targeting key memories) as well as a handful of the symptoms you listed…but nobody can figure out my eye issue (binocular diplopia or double vision with both eyes open), which strangely just showed up in my life in my late 20s early 30s. Its a major persistent problem I deal with. I’ve seen all kinds of specialists and neurologists, etc and nobody can tell me what’s going on or (most importantly) what caused it and why…I have come to the conclusion that it’s a FND, I actually read somewhere that vision problems are relatively common in this department. I also have PTSD and DID so…there’s that. I’m hopeful maybe there’s some memories somewhere in my brain that once targeted may alleviate my eye issue…although no luck so far. Trying my best to be kind to myself and to my body.

 

[Weemie]

I saw a graphic linking dissociation with FND. What is the connection?

Primarily that they both produce global neurological symptoms and that they are both associated with experiences of trauma. They can overlap in symptoms but FND is more invasive than dissociation and causes more concrete, stable symptoms.

 

[Rose White]

Thank you @Weemie . Does this

global neurological symptoms

mean that it can involve all parts of the body?

 

[Weemie]

Thank you @Weemie . Does this

mean that it can involve all parts of the body?

Yup!

 

[Rose White]

they both produce global neurological symptoms

I have FND in my hands and leg.

can involve all parts of the body

Upon waking I realized that this is confusing me because dissociation doesn’t affect just an arm or a leg if I recall correctly. Although it is experienced differently, it’s related to focus and presence and is not typically isolated in a body part. Oh wait, I get it when I think about conversion disorder. My understanding of conversion disorder is that psychological pain gets externalized in the body-mind’s pursuit of receiving treatment. There’s no end to ways it can manifest, but in psychoanalysis the location(s) on the body of the manifestation can be critical and relevant to processing the trauma which may be personal, cultural, intergenerational, and so on.

So pain disorders like fibromyalgia would be global? Depression would be global? Some syndromes like Behçet’s would be global because they can affect any and every nerve. I guess a disease like shingles would be global? No, because it only affects spinal and cranial nerve bundles.

Sorry got caught up in the concept of global neurological disorder. And how that related to dissociation. I think I got confused about how it could be global if it’s isolated to hands and leg but I think I worked it out. @Weemie did I work it out?

 

[cuppanina]

That's about right. There's something your brain can't get quite work out, your body thinks something is physically wrong and misfires. FND can be anywhere in the body but is often localized to arms/legs. For example, I have tremors in my legs when stressed, but tics in my whole body all the time.

 

[silverlinings1069]

tourette's like tics
-trouble walking

I had no idea. I have tics that I have been trying to hide. I had no idea where they came from. I will take a look at this. Thank you for beginning the thread.