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Tips for discussing functional neurological disorders with patients 
:
- Don’t underestimate the power of empathy & validation: these symptoms are scary!
- Somatic symptoms are a NORMAL response to stress (headaches, fatigue). Normalize the experience. https://twitter.com/amoosamd/status/1283956013415247874
:- Don’t underestimate the power of empathy & validation: these symptoms are scary!
- Somatic symptoms are a NORMAL response to stress (headaches, fatigue). Normalize the experience. https://twitter.com/amoosamd/status/1283956013415247874
/2 -FNDs produce motor/sensation symptoms that are not due to disease but due to the way the nervous system communicates with the body
- It is NOT a disorder of exclusion. We know why it happens. It IS well understood. Families want to hear this.
- It is NOT a disorder of exclusion. We know why it happens. It IS well understood. Families want to hear this.
/3 - Symptoms are not voluntary or purposeful
- CBT treatment is extremely efficacious for children/adolescents
- ALWAYS name the disorder. They are not “seizures caused by stress.” FND, somatic symptom disorder, etc.
- CBT treatment is extremely efficacious for children/adolescents
- ALWAYS name the disorder. They are not “seizures caused by stress.” FND, somatic symptom disorder, etc.
/4 - Trauma & stress are not prerequisites to FND symptoms. If you focus on this, it will put the pt on the defensive to state “I’m not stressed.”
- Lastly, FND symptoms are biological in nature and REAL
- Lastly, FND symptoms are biological in nature and REAL
/5 & one more: we ALL experience functional neuro symptoms. If you have had a headache after a stressful day- this qualifies. Share that with pts. Normalize the nervous system response to environmental triggers.
/6 just one more— for pts with functional disability: increased functioning MUST come before decreased symptom presentation. If pt waits for sxs to decrease before increase functioning- will never happen. This is HARD- but doable
