Nes

[justPassing]

I have found this bit of information

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What causes NES?

Some NES have a physical cause - relating to the body - such as fainting. Fainting is also called syncope. Some NES have a psychological cause - relating to the mind - such as panic attacks.

If NES happen for a physical reason it is often easier to diagnose the underlying cause. For example a faint may be diagnosed as being due to a physical problem in the heart.

The term NES is usually used to describe seizures with a psychological cause.

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Finding the cause

Sometimes it can be very hard to find the reason why non-epileptic seizures start. For some people their NES may happen shortly after a specific stressful event. For others their NES may not start after any particular life event. This can make finding the cause difficult.

Some NES only occur when a person feels stressed or anxious. For other people their NES may start to happen in situations which are not seen as stressful.

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What do NES look like?

What happens to the person during their NES can vary. What happens during an epileptic seizure can also happen during a non-epileptic seizure. During NES, like epileptic seizures, a person might fall and hurt themselves, convulse (make jerking movements) or be incontinent (wet themselves). Both types of seizures can happen suddenly and without warning. Because of this it can sometimes be hard to tell epileptic and non-epileptic seizures apart.
Psychological causes of NES

Any experiences that we have, whether good or bad, can have a deep and long-lasting effect on us. Everyone has their own way of dealing with their experiences. For some people, the NES they have are their brain's way of dealing with past painful experiences.

The causes of NES may be past experiences such as bereavements, divorce, abuse or other emotional difficulties. On-going stress may also cause them, such as work, family or money worries. Some people may not know the cause of their seizures. Some people may not think stress is a possible cause as it may be a normal part of their life.
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It is from http://www.epilepsynse.org.uk/PAGES/info/leaflets/factsnea.cfm#cause
It does go a bit in the seizure discussed with Post traumatic Eye movement therapy.

I did bring this (without a reference) as a possibility the last time I talked with my neurologist, we were at the ER so time was short, but he did remove this as a possibility. I will have to dig on it a bit with him when I finally get a proper appointment, but I can not find any easy causes for him to rule it out aside from the fact that I was confuse for a very long time after both multiple tonic-clonic seizures (hey I am getting the hang of those words!).

Anyone know a thing or two about this and the distinction they make with epilepsy?

Cheers,

 

[RobinN]

Here are a couple threads on the subject:
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f23/nes-vs-pnes-2439/
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f22/pseudoseizures-1523/
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f22/psychogenic-non-epileptic-seizures-2123/

 

[hawke86]

Very good and interesting threads Robin.