Pseudoseizures?

In reality, people who have pseudoseizures are often not aware of the cause or able to consciously control the events. They are not "faking it.' They are often experiencing severe emotional stress, and their brain is finding a way to release it, to communicate feelings which they do not feel safe enough or possess the skills to put into words. Your right in saying that this is an involuntary stress reaction.

Your nurse friend does need to work with a Psychiatrist to identify the emotional triggers and there are also medications that can help. She needs your support more than ever right now.

Correctional nurses can probably give you information on this topic. Inmates are notorious for having these pseudoseizures because of their inability to cope with the stress of their incarceration.

Keep your eyes open and be careful. I would worry about getting sucked into her "syndrome" as a co-dependent.

You can be supportive without being "co-dependent." She needs professional help and as huckfinn has said you don't want to get sucked into her emotional issues. It sounds like she has involved parents, who have probably dealt with similar incidences with her.

Just curious as to how you found out about all this confidential health care information regarding a fellow worker? I would not want to show my face back at work either, if I were her.

Though “maybe” pseudo-seizures are the case; fully plausible.

However if truly prognosis of pseudo-seizures via one surface EEG test result, considering the percentage of inaccuracies documented (and not) this is akin to diagnosis via pin-the-DX-on-the-patient, blindfold and all.

Examples:

Following is from:
Fujimoto S, Mizuno K, Takasaka Y, Shibata H, Kanayama M, Ishikawa T.
Department of Central Clinical Laboratories, Nagoya City University Hospital.
"A Remarkable Position to Be In"
Dr. Anthony Ritaccio
NYU Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, New York
{quote]…Glimpses of the difficulties faced by neurologists of old are still afforded to us today by those cases — usually involving seizures in the part of the brain just behind the eyes, the prefrontal cortex — wherein the EEG does not show any sign of seizure activity.[/quote]

From this site:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q..._uids=88319291
PMID: 3137487 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Following is from:
Electroencephalographic studies of simple partial seizures with subdural electrode recordings.
Devinsky O, Sato S, Kufta CV, Ito B, Rose DF, Theodore WH, Porter RJ.
Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD 20892.
This topic is also discussed at greater length with (in my opinion) far too many assumptions though addressed on page ten (some redundant); thread “faking it”.

Possibly one of the most common comments heard by a person with Epilepsy or seizure disorder:

“but you look fine”.

--Then put a band aid on my head.

I agree she needs help, the “why” I do not see as answered yet.


All my best to all

Toadly - that's true, maybe the neurologist was wrong? Numerous patients labeled with pseudoseizures actually turn out to have real though atypical seizures on depth telemetry and real seizures commonly co-exist in patients with pseudoseizures. However, given her history it's probably an accurate assessment.

TerraRN - If she contacts you for support, maybe you should just be honest with her about your concerns and the fact that you are having a hard time with this.

I don't have time to read every post right now. But to say she's "faking it" is a bit harsh. When a person is depressed or schizophrenic would you say they are "faking" it.

It's a genuine pysch. problem that needs attention same as any other pysch. illness.

I've had a neurologist say that a lot of these people were abused in their childhood.

It's not an exact science.

This is personal information and a violation if HIPPA btw for you to know, unless she told you herself. I hope the staff taking care of her aren't gossiping about her.