Need help understanding Psychogenic epilepsy

[chocaholic]

Hi,
I have a relative who has Psychogenic epilepsy. I don't know anyone else with the condition so I am a little clueless to be honest about the symptoms and treatment. So I need help to understand because at the moment i'm doubting she even has it which I feel awful for saying out loud. The thing is she does enjoy attention and spending money (which they dont have) Now she is getting both. A couple of times I have been there just after a seizure and she was on the computer which I said I didnt think was a good idea, she looked fine having a fag and drinking coffee 5 minutes later her husband walks in the door from work and she has her head in her hands saying "I don't know who I am I don't know where I am" This confused me and I really don't know what to think. I feel its me not understanding the condition propertly. I hope so anyway because if she is faking I don't know what to do because that is just such an awful thing to do.
Any help would be great.

Thanks

 

[Nakamova]

Hi chocaholic,

"Psychogenic Epilepsy" is not quite the right term. Psychogenic seizures are not a form of epilepsy. They are Non-epileptic seizures. They are seizures in terms of the physical symptoms of the event, but they are a caused by psychological stress, rather than by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. In many cases they are considered to be a by-product of PTSD, and are treated with psychological counseling such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. There's good info about them here: http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/seizure_psychogenic

 

[LJ-Bain]

Wow.
It's so hard to say what your relative is going through.
Psychogenic seizures are no walk in the park, that is for sure.
People who have them do not pretend to have them and they don't have any control over them. You can injure yourself, be exhausted afterwards and you most definitely do not want to be having them. They turn your life upside down.
It can be very difficult to tell an epileptic seizure from a psychogenic one.
I would really think that there are much better ways of getting attention than that?
That boggles my mind but I suppose it is possible.
Has she been diagnosed with either? Has she seen a neurologist? A psychiatrist?
The treatment can be anti-depressants, seeing a psychiatrist and sometimes cognitive behavioural therapy...
I like to believe the best in people. Perhaps she has another personality disorder that manifests this way?