Raising awareness and providing support to those affected by FND and PTSD
Life with FND and PTSD
I was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) following a traumatic car accident in October 2020. Overnight I went from being fit and healthy to suffering from a range of debilitating physical and psychological symptoms affecting my speech, movement and memory.
Alongside this I was also diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as well as depression, anxiety and soft tissue injuries to my neck, back and knee. When someone receives several injuries at the same time this is called “polytrauma”.
I began documenting my journey on social media and looking for more information about FND, a widely misunderstood illness. All the while in the midst of a pandemic, I was battling a personal injury claim, a difficult divorce, seeing countless specialists and bringing up my young daughter as a single mum.
The journey has been incredibly tough and it’s not over yet. If I could go back in time and tell myself what I know now it wouldn’t make things any easier because there is limited understanding of FND and so little support for people suffering from trauma. In time, I hope to be able to contribute to changing that.
Understanding FND and PTSD
Let’s talk about FND and PTSD
Understanding FND and PTSD
Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) represents a functional rather than a physical issue with the brain and nervous system. Messages and signals from the brain are miscommunicated causing the body to function incorrectly. For me FND was only one of the injuries I sustained in the accident resulting in polytrauma, where several injuries are sustained at once.
Help after a diagnosis
Let’s talk about FND and PTSD
Understanding FND and PTSD
Have you or someone you know recently been diagnosed with FND or suffering from PTSD? Finding relevant and reliable sources of information can be overwhelming. We have compiled a simple, easy to understand set of resources and information to help you as you begin healing from trauma and understanding your diagnosis.
Let’s talk about FND and PTSD
Let’s talk about FND and PTSD
Let’s talk about FND and PTSD
They say a problem shared is a problem halved. We want to contribute to solving some of those problems by understanding people’s experiences, and what could be done better. Whether it’s educating healthcare professionals, improving diagnosis and access to rehab or supporting people financially, we want to know what you think.