What are your symptoms and how long did it take to get a diagnosis?
FND can present a range of symptoms and these will vary from patient to patient. They can also interact with other illnesses, exacerbating the patients symptoms. For example a loud noise that affects PTSD can trigger a tic attack in FND.
Symptoms in FND can also be confused with other medical conditions such as a stroke and as FND is relatively misunderstood, diagnosis can take time. How long have you been managing with FND?
What advice would you give to someone newly diagnosed with FND?
Receiving a diagnosis of FND can be a lonely, confusing and overwhelming time. As an FND community our wealth of experience can help and support those who might be struggling.
Whether it’s tips for managing tics, speech therapy exercises or simply a healthy dose of positive thinking, we’d love you to share these with us. What advice do you wish someone had given you about FND?
What could be done better to help the FND community?
FND is so incredibly misunderstood and relatively unknown, that it is difficult for people to understand how such a debilitating illness has existed for so long. Or course, FND has had many other names including conversion disorder and even hysteria!
Academics are increasing seeking patients for FND research and there are an increasing number of medical professionals specialising in FND but waiting lists for treatment are long and private clinics can be unaffordable. So what could be done to improve the diagnosis, treatment and care for those suffering with FND?