What are psychogenic nonepileptic seizures?

Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures are a physical manifestation of trauma, stress, or anxiety. They can present with a variety of clinical symptoms. They are usually diagnosed by a neurologist or epileptologist after an electroencephalogram (EEG) study has captured a typical presentation of symptoms and shown that the brainwaves do not show any epileptiform activity during an event.

Why is therapy considered the treatment for PNES?

PNES falls under the somatic-symptom diagnosis umbrella of functional neurological disorder or conversion disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders, DSM-5. Because the events are considered to be triggered by emotions, therapy helps to address these responses.

How long is treatment?

This answer is different for everyone. The goal will be to significantly reduce the frequency of events and intensity of symptoms. This will include being able to better identify a client’s individual triggers for events; develop stress management skills and coping strategies; and increase tolerance for the disruptions that it can have in life. While working within a framework to ground in, treatment will be personalized to your individual needs and situation. Depending on your presentation, you may find significant improvement in the first month or two, or we may need to work together longer to delve deeper into some of the emotional processes that are contributing to your physical symptoms.

Why am I so interested in PNES?

I first learned about PNES when I started working as an EEG technologist in 2015. I would see patients presenting with PNES symptoms every day in my job and became aware of the need for a competent therapist to help them. After doing research and writing my master’s thesis on the treatment of PNES, I became even more aware of the need for the specific patient population and became even more passionate about providing quality therapy to this group.