Research paper discussing differentiating between various diagnoses of the fnd-type.

[artmom]

I think I found this in the comments on the David Tuller article, but not certain. So if it’s already posted here please excuse me. It’s VERY long and I’ve not finished it yet! I’m reading it in increments. It is fascinating. If I had to sum it up in one (facetious) sentence, I’d say ‘If a dr doesn’t know what’s wrong with you you’re obviously bonkers’! (Hope the link works.)

mdpi.com/2227-9032/7/4/114/htm

[artmom]

This is a little bit of the Conclusion:

‘’When using diagnostic testing, absence of proof is never proof of absence. Although the absence of a finding in a diagnostic test may raise the suspicion of a psychiatric illness, the absence of a finding alone can never confirm the presence of a psychiatric illness. The diagnosis of a psychosomatic condition requires a causal psychodynamic explanation, and it is never a diagnosis of exclusion based upon a failure to confirm some other diagnosis. A more thorough psychiatric assessment can determine whether there is a psychodynamic and/or psychiatric pathophysiological process that would explain a symptom. The onset of a multisystem illness is rarely, if ever, associated with a psychogenic etiology.’’

‘’A common diagnostic pitfall [...] is the risk that something unexamined or not adequately understood can result in an improper diagnosis, inadequate treatment, and inadequate financial coverage by third party payers.’’

[artmom]

‘’Historically, there has been a bias in which poorly understood illnesses are often considered to have a psychiatric origin until the pathophysiology is better understood and explained on some other basis.’’

E.G. syphilis, Lyme

[Hidden in reply to artmom]

Ulcerative Colitis - which was considered IBS/ functional until pretty recently.

[artmom]

And in my situation reading the article and posting on it could be considered a psychiatric problem pretty much!

[Dopey007]

I have not read paper , just your posts ,...but for what it's worth , I had fastest diagnosis ever , by neurologist , after 10 years ...... basically we have a problem with our software...and can not be shown on scan ( but bet it could) if we where computers ....!!!😕🧠💜

[Hidden in reply to Dopey007]

Yes but we are not computers! And apparently the software analogy is thought to be old hat now and it’s all hardware related. If you believe in the construct at all that is - which I don’t.

The problem for the proponents of this disorder is that it is taking so long for their supposed generosity and understanding for patients with “FND” to be realised on the ground by most jobbing neurologists in busy clinics.

[artmom]

I believe ‘things’ are showing up now on scans. My issue I think is that drs are still saying ‘if you just stop worrying/have some cbt/stop paying so much mind to it’ or some such, it’ll all go away. ‘There is nothing wrong with you’. And while I can very well believe my brain could be on the fritz, how am I meant to be behind that when you are really only jumping to conclusions because I’ve experienced depression, (for instance).It’s a very quick and easy way to lighten your clinic load. At the moment it appears to me to be a faith-based diagnosis. And very much, potentially, overly diagnosed.

[Hidden in reply to artmom]

Faith based seems a good summary!

I think it’s not the possibility that (it) may turn out to be a psychological condition or set of symptoms that we should fear. Rather it’s the possibility that it continues to be bounced between the two specialisms - who each other dress it up as theirs. But they can’t support this with hard evidence yet so for the patient on the ground it’s the worst of neither ie just heightened health awareness, health anxiety, bad habits etc. A head patting diagnosis like IBS.

But we aren’t stupid and we know when we are being fobbed off. Many know now that MS in women was classed as hysteria and until quite recently ulcerative colitis was classed as functional rather than IBD. History is littered with presumed conversion disorders that turn out to be biomedical conditions.

So I think it should go back into the holding bay of medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) until such as time as they can prove it is either psychological (in the ptsd camp) or biomedical. In my experience however most chronic biomedical conditions respond or have a close relationship with the mind and vice versa. And MUS should be monitored closely until such time as doctors know more about the brain than they do presently.

Either way none of it is functional in my opinion. This is a word that has been misappropriated by the medical community to mean “emotionally dysfunctional”.

Everything is organic and this set of symptoms needs to remain nameless until neurologists, psychiatrists and psychologists can convincingly present the case that it’s a condition in its own right.

Everything presently looks to people like us as the emperor’s invisible clothing.

virology.ws/2019/12/30/tria...