Why don’t we here about more about fnd

[Littlecook]

I was wondering why we never here about fnd anywhere, noone seems to want to talk about it even on the television, the only subject you here about daily is the big C I release how it's important but so is our condition.

[Van604]

Basically, it was very fashionable in the late 19th century, when they called it hysteria, and then they just stopped talking about it for about 100 years. It was considered a psychiatric condition and mostly in women, so no one really cared to do any proper scientific research on it, instead relying on bizarre and unscientific Freudian concepts like conversion and secondary gain. Now some neurologists have become interested in it and renamed it FND. They are doing some proper research and consider it neurological, not psychiatric or just faking it. Unfortunately, a lot of medical professionals haven't caught up yet and that's why we still get treated so poorly.

[210272 in reply to Van604]

According to Perez et al FN(C)D is still considered to be a psychiatric condition and although I know some UK neurologists don't agree with him and his co authors I have yet to see the Perez conceptualisation adequately refuted. Plus we know from 'the function of 'functional' mixed methods review' that 'functional' has come to mean 'hysteria' at least in the minds of some neurologists and 'hysteria' is one of the keywords in the latest hypothesis about FND published earlier this year. Unfortunately Stone still seems to be obsessed with it and the last time I heard the word 'hysteria' out loud was in a webinar about the 'human construct' (constructed by men who are heavily invested in FND) that is triple pd which is currently conceptualised as a wastebasket diagnosis by some doctors and is being over diagnosed by others.

As far as I can tell, FND is being over diagnosed in people of a low socio economic demographic and if I'd known about the parliamentary day about it held a while ago I would have rocked up to that to represent people deemed to be in the subtypes and people with rare conditions who are frequently misdiagnosed with FND, especially if they are women. Oh and I'd have asked why Stone's top tips for making the FND diagnosis are 'open to misinterpretation' and why people are still being told ridiculous things including that questioning the FND dx proves that it's the right dx. Erm, no it doesn't. I also think it is being over diagnosed in people with vestibular/neurovestibular conditions since 'functional' forms part of the overarching vestibular disorders diagnostic Venn diagram.

[Shimmyaway in reply to 210272]

You mention 'the latest hypothesis of FND' using the word 'hysteria' .. the cheek ! Could you pass on the reference for that please?

With thanks

[210272 in reply to Shimmyaway]

Here it is: doi.org/10.1080/19585969.20...

Some of the terminology in it is far too complicated and even some of the highly respected medical professionals I sent it to didn't understand all of it. Currently the only good thing I can say about it is 'Oh, wow. Two psychiatrists managed to correctly identify an adjective'. I did get a response from the author and I think they hope to spark debate amongst the researchers but I have a feeling that they may not know how to empower patients to be part of that debate. I hope I'm wrong about that. I'll respond to him when I can.

[Shimmyaway in reply to 210272]

Thanks for the reference, but as you rightly say, understanding it is not exactly plain sailing.

[210272 in reply to Shimmyaway]

It really isn't, is it? Clear as mud (which is not uncommon re anything related to FND, given some of the information out there about when and how to give this dx and the number of papers about it that are partly behind paywalls). What I found most disturbing about it is that they seem to think that developing FND could be voluntary since I do not know how they've come to that conclusion and it does seem to be a change in direction from all the involuntary stuff we've been told, over the years. Still, at least it's just a hypothesis at this stage, unlike the Perez 'blame the patients' malarky which I've never understood either.

[210272]

Hi Littlecook,

Please see my reply to Van604 about this. Regarding foot dragging, that can be a side effect from some medications and can also be indicative of being over tired and/or dehydrated.

[GeeBee11]

Yes Littlecook, I do this and it’s fairly common for FND. Left side for me but over focusing can make it worse so distraction is key.