I’ve been doing some research lately and found a few things I wanted to share.
Functional Neurological Disorder: Neuropsychological and psychological management in children and adults (November 2024) DOI: doi.org/10.53841/bpsrep.2024.rep181 (not yet registered) Hopefully this link will work:
explore.bps.org.uk/content/...
The Pre-Paces Podcast #60 - it’s an interview with Dr Elizabeth Mallam from 2023. It’s the most informative and relatable thing I’ve listened to in a long time.
Thanks for sharing, have downloaded the article to read this week and will listen to the podcast.
We need the multi-disciplinary approach as soon as possible after "rule in" diagnosis. Too many people are left to struggle alone.
..and it would help if the diagnostic thread was attached to the therapeutic one,, so we are not left either 'dangling' or 'stitched up'...or both. GRRR.
For sure, the therapeutic rehabilitation should be part of the referral path.
The EXPLORE article is very comprehensive, and I think positive in that it looks as if psychologists are ready to play their role, when and if we get to the stage of the NHS setting up the MD teams. I don't know if FND is on their curriculum...thanks for the article. Hope zhealth are getting results with your daughter.
Hi - thanks for asking! She is getting on well with zhealth (the exercises are difficult but we are slowly seeing improvements). The zhealth practitioner recommended that we get her arachnoid cyst checked out with an MRI scan and also her whole spine due to it being part of the central nervous system, so we are pausing appointments until we’ve had the scan and got the results (should all be done within 2 weeks as we’re going private). We asked for an NHS referral and they rejected it. 🙄
Our zhealth practitioner said that we should always remember that something else caused the neurological issues, not FND. FND is just the umbrella term that covers a vast array of symptoms. This is why he is worried about the cyst as it is in the area of rhe brain that correlates with her symptoms. He believes my daughter’s central nervous system is so fragile that any sensory input (light, movement, noise etc) causes her FND symptoms to flare up, as well as chronic fatigue. He did a really cool exercise with her wearing glasses with coloured lenses to work on her cross body movements (eg arm swinging when walking). She couldn’t do it without the glasses, hit with glasses on she could do it perfectly. That was a week ago, and today she’s started swinging her arms naturally when walking. Not all the time, but as he says, we have a lot of work to do on the circuitry.
We shall see. I’ll try to keep you updated.
I have got 40 mins into the podcast and I like the bit where she says experiencing functional symptoms is entirely normal.
You have a complex brain, it makes mistakes now and then, it would be weird if it doesn't make mistakes (in the interview the presenter asked the guest several questions and as she was over attentive, she forgot his question (temp brain fog).
She also went on to say there are particular situations where it is more likely to make mistakes under stress, so not necessarily psychological.
Usually when we are in a particular situation it is likely to make mistakes. Sometimes when you get out of the situation the symptoms go away and sometimes you get stuck.
Yes - I liked that part too, where she forgot his other question and couldn’t remember what she was going to say. She totally normalised it as a perfect example and moved on.
I guess forgetting things is common but maybe when we unintentionally pay extra attention we get a little more anxious.
I also think we need not to isolate ourselves and being in social settings with friends is extremely important, like she said you can over worry about something, mention it to another and they could squash it (and you don't give it a second thought).
Can u help me 
How I’m Healing from FND
T 0 ALL ON FND SITE
