Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures Diagnosis and Treatment - SLUCare Neurology & Psychology

Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures (PNES), also referred to as functional seizures, are seen in about a third of cases for those seen for medically refractory epilepsy. They have the appearance of a normal seizure except that they are not caused by abnormal brain electrical discharges. Instead these seizures are caused many times by psychological distress. SLUCare Neuropsychologist Dr. Evan Schulze talks about the use of cognitive behavioral informed psychotherapy for the treatment of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures.

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Medically Refractory Epilepsy Diagnosis & Treatment

Dr. Evan Schulze provides neuropsychological assessment of adult patients and cognitive behavioral-informed therapy for adults with non-epileptic seizures. He specializes in patients who’ve experienced cognitive and behavioral changes due to neurological diseases or psychiatric disorders; cognitive change due to epilepsy; diagnosis and treatment of individuals with non-epileptic seizures.

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SLUCare Physician Group is a patient-centered network of more than 500 health care providers on staff at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. As part of an academic medical practice, SLUCare physicians are experts in their respective fields, providing specialty care for even the most complex medical conditions. SLUCare physicians practice in 47 different hospitals and clinics throughout the St. Louis region, making high-quality, advanced care convenient for you and your family.

[DavisonVideo]

It's time for neurologists to stop sticking to old paradigms and investigate the non-epileptiform causes of motor seizures. It's an embarassment labelling them psychogenic.

[chaoticdays]

The cure for non epileptic seizures is to shift from a sympathetic (fight or flight) to a parasympathetic state . This is best achieved through deep abdominal breathing with prolonged exhales making a deep humming sound in your throat as you exhale. Breathe in and out only through your nose, focusing on your breath and nothing else the whole time. You should feel the back of your throat area vibrating when you exhale making the humming sound. The back of the throat area is the hub of the parasympathetic nervous system and activating it with humming automatically activates the parasympathetic nervous system relaxing your mind and body. Practice this for 20 min in the morning, afternoon and night and your seizure frequency will reduce greatly. Also practice it the moment you feel a seizure coming on and most likely the seizure feeling will go away. Combine this with mindfulness training and learn to live in "day tight" compartments focusing only on the present moment specifically on the task at hand and doing what you enjoy.

[buyerbewaremichigan]

Human, psychological, suppression and keeping abuse a secret causes the grief to manifest into traumatic seizures from pushing the grief away down deep inside a person. Dying from grief is real people!

[lesleysmith]

I had a roommate who had these. They were NOT fake. She had been badly gang assaulted (r4pe) and she had these often. At least once a day. So much medicine still doesnt know.... The brain basically shuts itself down, thinking it's re-entering the threat when a memory comes. Sad. I know I'd want a benzo if that was happening to me! Give them the dang treatment....

[nicmackowey]

I find this type of seizure rather offensive.. It makes some of us feel like they think we're making it up.. And aren't taken seriously

[valerieevanier]

It's so frustrating to still be seeing this narrative. Reminds me of when we were told schizophrenia was caused by childhood trauma.

[robynstopped]

So because you don't know how it works, the patient is making it up in their head? Wow, that's condescending.

[flannerylynchislegit]

Maybe I’m crazy, but when I have these seizures, it’s like I’ve entered another realm and tuned into another frequency. It’s so wild. I don’t believe that it’s suppressed emotions or whatever they’re trying to sum it up to, I’ve been in therapy for most of my adult life and I’ve worked through my life’s traumas. I truly believe spirits are trying to communicate with me when I’m in that state. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[gannjones]

This is/ was me, I had PNES for years didn’t know what it’s was, I know this is an old post, hopefully someone can read this an get help, I’m a young 67 told woman, I was abused for years as well an Alcoholic in recovery for 35 years, I was in therapy for 9 years my therapist retired.
Then I met my previous therapist well psychiatrist, she taught me mindfulness meditation, thinking, it’s like hypnotizing . I took myself to an amazing place where I found comfort. Long story…. They stopped.. ❤ I was amazed that this person in one / two visits helped me that fast . Most likely I wanted them to stop 🛑 I’m grateful!!

[Mr.Redacto]

The best way for me to describe my experience is this in the broad scope of things. Imagining hearing one of your parents die and you forcefully deny the emotions and the accounts of the events. Yet your subconscious mind is attacking what feels like your central nervous system. Like a leaky pipe under too much pressure. That's why people need to cry. Putting on a brave face especially when you are by yourself isn't necessarily the healthy approach.
Took me along time to learn that my self ego only hurts thy self.

[christiejensen]

Exceptional video!!! My mom is 73 & is continuing to see doctor are doctor for a medical diagnosis ignoring PTSD. Trauma being stored in the body. Thank you for this!!!

[HealingIntentionally]

I thought I was just having panic attacks maybe I still I do. When an onlooker started to scream that I looked like I was having a seizure I started to have doubts. Also when other people described how their panic attacks were not even near what I experienced I began to suspect something more was going on. Just hearing her saying she felt like ants were crawling on her head knowing that’s exactly how I felt moments before I had an episode is actually scaring me. I’m confused and scared now.

[malstria]

I had a neurologist run me through epilepsy testing and as soon as it was determined that my seizures were non-epileptic, he told me I was making them up, they were in my head and to get over it. Since it wasn't epilepsy, he wouldn't help me with any treatment and just told me to see a psychiatrist. He also accused me of not taking them seriously despite the fact I sought him out to help me figure out what was going on. He even stopped seeing me for my migraines. I still have the seizures and the migraines, and just live them them because it's so hard to find a neurologist that will actually listen. It still makes me mad and I hate the episodes.

[BlackOwl]

You guys are pushing this way to hard. Patients that have had years long documentation of actual Seizures and the cause of those seizures, are being missed diagnosed with this anytime they can’t perform a seizure at a doctors demand. The willingness of the medical community to slap this label on Random epileptics is nothing short of harmful and insulting.

[Galaxy-mrff]

I have a large history with seizures (temporary paralysis) until this day I did not get any clear answers if it’s epilepsy or psychogenic non-epileptic seizures or panic attacks disorder, the only thing I know is some doctors treat patients like trash in these cases like we’re making it up, I’ve been hospitalized in the ER many times they don’t take their mission seriously.

[ashleighthomas]

When my seizures began quickly lead to many ambulance trips to ER following a week in hospital doing the epilepsy screening to be told these psychogenic non epileptic seizures were a result of severe post traumatic stress still took years for me to understand why

[jeanward]

I am the leading expert now on curing PNES and I don’t even have my doctorate in psychology yet! I use new ways of exposure therapy that hasn’t been utilized and has been overlooked.

[buyerbewaremichigan]

Exposure Therapy people! Please trust in it! The human brain is a lot more complicated than we give it credit for!

[ruthmoncayo]

I had a seizure while boarding a plane yesterday. It came out of nowhere I had no anxiety or any thoughts, I simply collapsed and was 100% sure I was dying. They told me it was a panic attack without even consulting a neurologist

[weylandyutani]

The human body isn’t just a bunch of cells there are many layers to it such as the electrical, etheric, spiritual and stuff u probably haven’t heard of. The disruption or imbalance of one can affect the other. Unfortunately modern medicine doesn’t seem to take these things into consideration .