It’s not all in their heads – but that’s what they said.
A shocking brain disorder leaves people to shake, stumble and sometimes completely blackened out, just to suspect doctors, friends and even family.
The condition, which is called a functional neurological disorder (FND), clashes the communication of the brain with the body, leading to real symptoms and often incompetence that appear false to the unprecedented eye.
FND can cause sudden vibration, tingling, paralysis, vision loss and seizures, but – unlike classical neurological diseases such as epilepsy or multiple sclerosis (MS) – does not appear clearly in brain scans.
This blind medical point means that many patients are poorly diagnosed, fired or even accused of doing it all.
Despite affecting more people than MS, the FND flies under the radar, partly because it sits at the crossroads of neurology and psychiatry – a vague intersection that leaves patients stuck in diagnostic oblivion.
About 10–22 people per 100,000 a year have the disorder, which disproportionately affects women and young people.
Researchers believe that a combination of psychological stress, trauma and genetics can cause the disorder, but no two cases look exactly.
Some patients develop symptoms after physical injury, others after emotional unrest – for some, is not either.
Treatment usually includes a team approach, mixing neurological care with specialized physical therapy and mental health support.
But experts warn that early recognition is essential – longer patients are left without help, more difficult recovery.
The biggest obstacle? Stigma.
“The origin of the disorder is deeply rooted in the sexist history of his pre-scientific-historian predecessor,” wrote Benjamin Scrivener, a doctoral candidate in medical and health sciences at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, wrote in the conversation.
Hysteria was a term used for centuries to describe unexplained physical symptoms – especially in women – that doctors are attributed to an unstable mind compared to a real disease.
Over time, “hysteria” became a diagnosis of everything for everything that doctors could not diagnose easily, and contributes to the FND stigma.
“Women with functional symptoms often face skepticism and holidays,” scrivener wrote.
“In some cases, significant damage occurs through stigmatization, inadequate care and poor management. Modern medicine has proven to address these prejudices recognizing functional neurological disorder as a legitimate condition.”
Attempts in recent decades to raise awareness of FND, however, provide hope that it will finally be able to shake its unfair reputation and help patients receive the care they need.
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