Dissociative Seizures

Educational post. Trigger warnings: Medical equipment and description of seizure.

Written by Tom and Blade.

Why will we cover this?

Although dissociative seizures are not exclusive for those with dissociative disorders. Some people with dissociative disorders will have seizures.

A dissociative seizure is named differently in different parts of the world.

I will be referring to them as dissociative seizures or Non-epileptic attack disorder (NEAD).

However, may also be seen as a one of the many symptoms/types of Functional neurological disorders (FND) its matching term in the ICD-11 is Dissociative neurological symptom disorder. And this post will focus specifically on only the non epileptic seizures.

It is also known as Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES), Non-epileptic seizures, and Psychogenic seizures.

If you have known these as "pseudo seizures", it is asked that this is no longer a term that should be used because the name suggests that the seizures are not real or faked by the individual having them or cannot have an ever lasting impact.

What causes a dissociative seizure?

Unlike epileptic seizures they are not caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain.

A person can get triggered by sensations, thoughts, emotions and difficult situations. Memories of painful events can suddenly come into thoughts or awareness or a build up of stress can happen in a moment. The dissociative seizure can happen as a way to cut off stress or bad memories so that they are not relieved. This can cause a person to start to dissociate. This is when they will feel disconnected from the world around them or make it seem like the world is not real. The brain will "shut down" to protect itself from overwhelming stress. The seizure then happens because the emotional reaction of the person becomes physical. It is known that extreme emotional distress can cause illnesses and disorders such as non epileptic seizures.

Some people who have dissociative seizures have them caused by traumatic events. For some they may happen after the event or for others they could start years later. They may start to happen suddenly with no apparent reason at the moment. However, in some people they can be caused by the build up of stress overtime.

When seizures start they can be triggered by stressful or frightening events, even the worry of having a seizure can trigger one. They could also occur spontaneously in non stressful events. Patients may not be able to understand why seizures happen as for some it is hard to recognise the level of stress they are feeling.

What do dissociative seizures look like?

Dissociative seizures can look different from person to person.

You could have episodes of uncontrolled movements, sensations or behaviour. Some dissociative seizures may look more like epileptic seizures or may look more like fainting. Someone may have palpitations, sweat, hyperventilate and have a dry mouth. Someone may fall on the ground or have jerking and shaking movements either on one side or the whole body. A person may lose control of their bladder or bowels and may also bite their tongue. Some people may go unresponsive to people around them and may stare and go blank.

Having seizures caused by a delayed response to a traumatic event may be a part of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In these seizures a person may have flashbacks, scream or cry and they may not remember the seizure afterwards.

Diagnosis of dissociative seizures.

A specialist will have many ways to tell whether the seizures are epileptic or not. The doctor may be able to tell from detailed descriptions of the seizures or a video of one happening. However, a doctor may ask someone to have an electroencephalogram (EEG) to determine whether electrical changes occur within the person's brain during a seizure. It may also be suggested for a person to have a video-telemetry. This could be done as an inpatient in a hospital or at home. A person will wear EEG equipment for a few days and is linked to a camera. This means that during a seizure the EEG and a video of it happening can be taken at the same time.

Brain scans such as Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or Computed Tomography Scan (CT) scans may also be done to rule out any neurological cause for these seizures.

Treatment for dissociative seizures.

Patients may also be asked to see a psychiatrist or psychologist. They can offer Treatment such as psychotherapy, stress-reduction (such as relaxation and biofeedback training), and personal support to help you cope with their seizures.

Talking therapy is useful to understand if there are triggers for the seizures and ways to manage these triggers in daily life. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is often recommended.

Medication will not help treat non epileptic seizures so they will only be suggested if the patient also has epileptic seizures. Taking medication for non epileptic seizures can cause side effects and do not benefit the person.

It is recommended to keep a normal daily routine. And to make sure that their family and friends are aware and understand. This will mean they will likely be able to help the person in a seizure and prevent harm.

First aid for dissociative seizures (Outsider's perspective):

DO:

- Make sure the person is safe. This can include moving objects away from them. If the person is lying on the floor, put a cushion/something soft under their head.

- Speak Calmly and in a reassuring way to the person

- Non epileptic seizures do not cause damage to the brain no matter how long it happens BUT if you are not sure if it is a dissociative seizure and lasts more than 5 minutes an ambulance must be called. If it is epileptic then a seizure longer than 5 minutes can damage the brain. (Again important to note this is advice given by the NHS of the UK)

- Stay with the person until they have recovered

DO NOT:

- Do not restrain the person. This can cause injury and make the seizure worse.

- Do not put anything in the person's mouth

- Do not attempt to give medication

Self help tips:

- Write down how you are feeling

- Continue to live normally and not become over cautious. This can help to speed up recovery. It is important to talk to your employer about these seizures and make clear your colleagues know what to do as well.

- Eat and Sleep well

- Build up self confidence

- Green exercise is a great way to boost your mood by being outside even if it is for a short while. Going for a walk outside.

- Fitness programmes can be found online and most can be done from your home

- Remaining positive

The sources we have used for this information also have more information on disability rights and benefits for those with dissociative seizures. And on driving regulations. However, these are only applicable to the UK.

Resources we have used to create this article:

Epilepsy Society: https://epilepsysociety.org.uk/about-epilepsy/what-epilepsy/non-epileptic-seizures

Epilepsy Action: https://www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/seizures/dissociative-seizures-non-epileptic-attack-disorder-nead

Sheffield Teaching Hospital document: https://www.sth.nhs.uk/clientfiles/File/pd3922_NonEpilepticSeizures.pdf

Non-Epileptic Attacks: https://sites.google.com/sheffield.ac.uk/non-epileptic-attacks/home.

Further information:

People's experiences:

Documentary film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA1EYAg9y5k. Photosensitive Epilepsy Trigger Warning at (9:14 - 9:30 ) and at (45:25 - 46:18)

Websites for more information:

NeuroKid: https://www.neurokid.co.uk/ - This is a website for children and young people with dissociative seizures but also has information for parents of these children. The website is also available in French at https://www.neurokid.co.uk/fr/.

Non-Epileptic Attacks: https://sites.google.com/sheffield.ac.uk/non-epileptic-attacks/home. A page written by professionals. They have more resources and go into more detail about the self help we have addressed.

FNH Hope UK: https://www.fndhope.org.uk/about-fnd-hope/fnd-hope-uk/. Has fundraising challenges across the UK. They also have online classes such as dance, painting, mindful meditation and yoga.

Charities:

FND Action: https://www.fndhope.org.uk/about-fnd-hope/fnd-hope-uk/. They can provide ID cards for those in the UK struggling with dissociative seizures.

Brain Charity: https://www.thebraincharity.org.uk/condition/non-epileptic-attack-disorder/. Provides Emotional support and social support for those in the UK and has a helpline.

Trigger warnings: Medical equipment and description of seizure. Educational post.

Truths & Myths: Pluralpedia Part 1

Welcome to our "Truths and Myths" series! In this series, we aim to debunk misconceptions and provide accurate information about Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). We will mainly focus on DID as it is the disorder we are most familiar with on both a personal and research basis.

Each post will highlight the accurate and inaccurate parts of each term, from the best of our research ability. Then, at the end, we will explain the full story of what DID actually is and provide our sources. We will be taking requests for terms anyone would like us to review. Otherwise, we will use random terms we find.

This first post is an exception to the random terms as we wanted to go over the formation of a DID system.

To develop Dissociative Identity Disorder, a child must experience overwhelming, severe, and repetitive trauma during their childhood. Having a dissociative disorder such as DID, PDID (ICD-11), or OSDD (DSMV) is the only way to have forms of dissociative identities.

As previously mentioned, DID can only be formed from trauma.

However, it has been suggested that individuals with a natural ability to dissociate or use dissociation as their primary response to trauma are more likely to develop DID. This innate ability allows them to reach a high level of dissociation and form dissociative identities. It is important to note that there is currently no confirmed link between this ability and the development of DID, but it is a proposed logical theory that would need more research.

Furthermore, certain biological factors can make an individual more susceptible to trauma, such as being born biologically female or being neurodivergent. For example, biological females are statistically more likely to experience s*xual abuse, which may have been the trauma they experienced as a child that led to the formation of their system.

Additionally, it is crucial to clarify that Dissociative Identity Disorder cannot be present at birth, and therefore, one can not be born with a system.

The theory of how personality is structured suggests that the personality comprises "modes" that contain cognitive, affective, behavioural, and physiological representations. These modes also represent a plan for encoding experiences and responding to internal and environmental demands.

For example, a person may have a "mother mode" activated when caring for a child, and this mode would have planned what care a child needs. However, the person will also have other modes, such as one associated with demands about their work or demands for defence in verbal ways. In a regular adult, all modes are connected to each other and are under a "conscious control system," which allows for an integrated self-state. This is why it may feel you have fluctuations in your personality or feel differently around your family than your friends. They are different modes, but importantly, they are all integrated together, unlike in an individual with DID.

DID occurs when this coupling process of modes is disrupted by dissociation caused by trauma. This results in smaller, more isolated pockets of modes, leading to multiple conscious control systems that represent different and discontinuous modes. Each of these systems has its own aspect of self, reflected by the modes within it.

One's I specifically used to write my explanation:

Though I suppose technically, in the way the theory is currently proposed, people who have DID never had a "singlet" phase. Otherwise, they would not have been able to form a system or develop DID.

Revisiting the etiological aspects of dissociative identity disorder: a biopsychosocial perspective. (Section under Dissociative Identities)

McLean Hospital. (Section under What is Dissociative Identity Disorder?)

Other external sources that also validate my claims but were not used specifically in the writing:

Cleveland Clinic. (Section under What causes Dissociative Identity Disorder)

The coupling process can be disturbed when a child tries to displace their thoughts, feelings, and emotions onto a “not me” in order to escape what they are experiencing and carry on with life and allows the child to remain for example creative or have a sense of humour even in very difficult circumstances. This leads to disconnected feelings and disorganised attachments to primary caregivers, which means the integration of modes is impossible.

NHS (Section under Causes of Dissociative disorder. It is important to note that this covers all dissociative disorders, not specifically DID)

Better Health Channel. (Section under Causes of Dissociative Disorders. It is important to note that this covers all dissociative disorders, not specifically DID)

Thank you for reading our first part to this series. Feel free to send us an echo to our page or leave in the comments any questions or suggestions for future parts to this series.

Made from the collaborative efforts of the system who run this blog.

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casi-system-interface

1 year ago

@parasitebunny I gotchu ♡

[The part one in mention] -- [oh no a part 3]

CW; Abandoned whumpee, taken in by whumper

Whumper didn't let go of whumpee's wrist as they pulled them away from the ruin left behind. Thankfully whumpee followed, not like they had much of a choice. Abandoned by their own team for a worthless cause.

Whumper actually felt bad for them.

"That was noble of you." Whumper pulled whumpee close by their side and gave them an assuring squeeze.

"What-?" Whumpee blinked, seemingly dazed.

"Sacrificing yourself. There's not many left that would do something like that... Well, none still alive." Whumper used their sleeve to clean off whumpee's face of dirt and blood.

"They made it out, right? My team? Did you see them? Are they safe?" Whumpee asked, leaning eagerly on their toes.

Whumper saw them alright, running for the hills while they used whumpee as cover.

"Yes I saw them abandon you if that's what you mean." Whumper spoke flatly. Whumpee opened their mouth to argue but a voice in the distance called for them.

"Ah! There they are. That's my team I mentioned. You'll join us, won't you?" Whumper asked, leaning in.

"This team... Who are you again? I never caught a name." Whumpee leaned back. The voices grew louder as whumpee could finally make it out.

They were calling whumper; the name of their enemy. The name whumpee knowingly sacrificed themselves to, thinking they would get killed on sight. They felt whumper's grip on their arm tighten and the look they gave each other was a mutual understanding that the jig was up.

"Let go of me." Whumpee retorted.

"I don't think I will. It's like I said whumpee;" Whumper smiled.

"There aren't many of you left."

[part 3] [Masterlist]

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casi-system-interface

1 year ago

[tape recorder clicks]

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casi-system-interface

11 months ago

Nice to have you back king xx

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casi-system-interface

1 year ago

It's so funny being a whump fan. Like hiii my name's Sebastian I love writing and reading!!!! I hope we can be friends :3 anyway my favorite tropes are kidnapping, disembowelment, torture, restraints, and drugging!!!

602 notes View Post

casi-system-interface

1 year ago

31K notes View Post

casi-system-interface

10 months ago

SMPTV II mood board to get you excited for the project. Coming October 2024

SMPTV II

Everything You Need To Support And Find SMPTV!

7 notes View Post

casi-system-interface

10 months ago

E-Leech is a web 1.0 horror story (ongoing in 1997, though i'm not sure when it started). Despite being pretty damn cool in implementation, as well as one of the first stories of its kind, it no longer appears in google results and seems forgotten.

Here's some samplings