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Welcome ✮⋆˙

「 ✦ Stochastic Shieldmaiden ✦ 」

── .✦ 22, she/they, queer ✦.──

I love mathematics and all things science and am currently doing a BSc in Mathematics.

FND, Chronic pain and neurodivergent girlie (please be patient I can take a while to respond to things but I promise I will always get around to it ♡︎ )

I also love all things Tolkien, Pokémon, Stardew and will also post about those and other fandoms.

DNI list: TERF, homophobic, transphobic, racist, misogynistic, ableist, zionists, antisemitic, antiscience

Keeping Someone with FND Safe During Seizures & Drop Attacks

If someone in your life has Functional Neurological Disorder, one of the most valuable things you can do is know how to help during a seizure or drop attack. You don't need to be a medical professional you just need to know a few key things.

During a Functional Seizure

Stay calm and stay with them

Time the seizure if you can

Gently guide them to the floor if they aren't already

Place something soft under their head Turn them onto their side (recovery position) if possible, especially if there is any risk of vomiting

Remove any nearby objects that could cause injury

Speak to them calmly and reassuringly, even if they appear unresponsive, they may still be able to hear you however this is not the case for everyone.

Once it passes, let them rest, recovery can take a long time and they may be very confused, exhausted, or in pain afterwards

Do NOT restrain them or hold them down

Do NOT put anything in their mouth

Do NOT give them food or water until they are fully alert

Do NOT leave them alone until they are fully recovered

During a Drop Attack

If you see it coming, try to slow their fall and guide them down gently, protecting their head is the priority

Once they are on the ground, keep them still and check for injuries

Talk to them calmly, they may recover quickly but feel disoriented or embarrassed Help them move to a safe, comfortable position before attempting to stand

Don't rush them back to their feet

Do NOT pull them up immediately

Do NOT panic

When to call 999 (or your local emergency number):

The seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes with no signs of stopping

They have sustained a significant injury during a fall

They stop breathing or their lips turn blue They have repeated seizures without regaining consciousness in between

You are unsure and your instinct says something is wrong always trust that

A few things worth knowing:

Recovery after a seizure or drop attack can take minutes, hours, or even the rest of the day. Please don't rush them or minimise how they feel afterwards.

Every person with FND is different. If your loved one or friend has given you specific instructions for their care, always follow those first.

Today is FND Awareness Day and as someone living with this condition, I wanted to take a moment to share what that means for me.

I received my official diagnosis six months ago, but looking back, the signs had been there for four years. Those six months have changed my life drastically, and I think one of the most important things I can do now is help spread awareness.

Functional Neurological Disorder is a condition where the brain doesn't send and receive signals to the rest of the body correctly. It can mimic conditions like MS, epilepsy, Tourette's, and Parkinson's, which is why it's so commonly misdiagnosed, sometimes for years.

The symptoms can include:

Movement issues such as tremors, muscle spasms, dystonia, and gait difficulties

Weakness or paralysis

Functional seizures (also called non-epileptic or dissociative seizures), which can involve long periods of unresponsiveness or fluctuating awareness

Sensory changes, numbness, tingling, vision loss, or tinnitus

Speech difficulties, brain fog, memory loss, and trouble concentrating

Functional tics

Chronic pain, severe fatigue, sleep disturbances, dizziness, and bladder/bowel dysfunction

I experience all of these to some degree, every single day, but no two days are ever the same. It's something I'm still learning to live with, and it has been a huge adjustment.

FND doesn't have one single cause. It can develop from a mix of neurological factors, disruptions in brain function, physical illness, injury, stress, or emotionally challenging experiences. The exact causes are complex and still not fully understood, which makes it all the harder to explain to others.

What surprises many people is that despite being classed as a rare disease, FND is actually one of the more common reasons people attend neurology clinics, with some research suggesting that around a third of outpatient neurology appointments involve patients reporting functional symptoms. Yet the mechanisms behind it remain poorly understood.

For me, it can strike without warning. One evening I had a cluster of seizures with no identifiable cause, no explanation on an MRI, nothing. That's the reality of living with FND.

There are lots of misconceptions about FND such as

Myth: It's all in the mind / it's a mental illness. Fact: FND is a neurological condition. While it can occur alongside anxiety or depression, it is a distinct, physical issue with how the brain functions.

Myth: There's no visible damage, so the symptoms can't be that bad. Fact: Think of it like a software malfunction, the hardware may look fine, but the system isn't working properly. The symptoms are very real and can be severely debilitating.

The headline "Hundreds of GPs tell BBC they have never refused a fit note for mental health concerns" is being used to push a narrative that GPs are soft handing out sick notes like confetti.

But read the actual article.

Of 752 GPs surveyed, 540 said they'd never refused, that's not even a representative sample of the profession, it's a self-selected BBC response group, out of more than 5,000 contacted. 162 of them had refused at least one.

And most importantly, why are we treating "GPs give sick notes for mental health" as a problem?

I've been signed off work with mental health sick notes multiple times. Once because I was experiencing abuse. Once because an EMDR session processing that abuse sent me into a serious spiral. Once because I was having panic episodes severe enough that I was prescribed diazepam for two weeks because they simply wouldn't stop. And once because I'd started having seizures and was too anxious about when the next one might hit to safely be in work.

Every single one of those was legitimate. Every single one fell under "mental health" on paper. If a GP had turned any of those down I would have been put at serious risk.

The article notes that fit note numbers have risen by almost 850,000 compared to six years ago, presenting this as evidence of a problem. But six years ago was pre-Covid. Covid didn't just disrupt the economy, it trapped people. I was 16, experiencing physical and emotional abuse at home with nowhere to go, no school to escape to, no way out. I am still dealing with those consequences. So is everyone who lived through that period in difficult circumstances. The rise in fit notes isn't a mystery.

The article also quotes a GP who says they sign off "legions of young patients with anxiety and depression who are quite clearly not ill." I can't get an appointment for my GP to even acknowledge my OCD. Multiple mental health services have assessed me, diagnosed clinical OCD, and written to my GP. It goes ignored. I would bet money that to a GP skimming my file, I'd be one of those patients who is "quite clearly not ill." But that's not clinical judgement, that's an overworked doctor who hasn't read the letters. The problem isn't that young people are inventing illness. The problem is that GPs are overwhelmed and the documentation piling up in patient files isn't being acted on.

The framing that GPs "never refusing" is evidence of a broken system ignores that sometimes the right answer is to sign someone off. But even when GPs do act appropriately, the system still fails patients in other ways.

The article quotes research showing that after a year off sick, only 50% of people return to work, and uses this to imply that long term sign offs are the problem. What it doesn't examine is why people don't return. I lost my job in December. In October, I was referred for Access to Work arrangements, support that would allow me to do my job safely. I was told the process would take 30 weeks. I obviously still haven't heard anything. I can't work without adjustments, but I can't access the adjustments. That's not a GP failing me. That's a system that removed me from employment and left me in a waiting room with no door.

My GP recently signed me off only until March, despite the fact I've already lost my job and was assessed as unfit for work at my initial neurology appointment following my first cluster of seizures. I'd asked to be signed off until my neurology appointment in May, (as I was writing this my appointment got cancelled and I’m going to scream) because that's when I might actually get some answers about what's happening to my body and whether it's safe to return. The GP signed me off for a shorter period, not a longer one.

"Most doctors issue fit notes for a shorter period than requested," the article says, presenting this as responsible gatekeeping. In my case, it just meant I had to use up a GP appointment I struggle to get just to extend something that should have been straightforward.

Mental health services in England are already in crisis. I've been waiting three years for an autism diagnosis. I need a second round of EMDR and I'm back on a waiting list. I'm currently unable to work due to FND, which is in turn taking a significant toll on my mental health. The system is not being too generous. People are falling through the cracks constantly.

Sylveon🌸✨

Trubbish my beloved

✨Maths✨

I’ve been giggling at this for 10 minutes

A quick summary of functions as this is just a recap from last year,

If I could give any advice it’s take breaks

I’ve just started my second (still first) year of uni as a part time student, it looks like the first unit is just a recap of last year so no stress just yet. I have no idea if I ever posted about my results but I got 69% (nice) in my pure and 61% in my stats and I’m just super proud of myself. It took me 3 attempts to get my A levels because of my mental health so the fact that I’m actually doing uni is always going to feel so cool to me.