Connect with others who understand.

  •   Learn from expert-reviewed resources
  •   Real advice from people who’ve been there
  •   People who understand what you’re going through
Sign Up Log In
Powered By
Real members of MyEpilepsyTeam have posted questions and answers that support our community guidelines, and should not be taken as medical advice. Looking for the latest medically reviewed content by doctors and experts? Visit our resource section.
A MyEpilepsyTeam Member asked a question 💭
Perth, AU

Trying to know about this as I had one last week

May 4
 · 
Reactions
A MyEpilepsyTeam Member

Hi Lochrie. I was diagnosed with absence seizures in 1975. My royal Melbourne hospital neurologists couldn't understand the different descriptions of my seizures. They put me in their V.E.M. unit where I was wired up for 5 days and when I had a seizure I pressed a button. They were PNES seizures. I was diagnosed by psychotherapist and psychiatrist as CPTSD and had EMDR therapy which reduced them. My occupation is to sit in courts and I hear all horrible things. I asked why the cases don't set me off but random seizures happen and it's because my 'story' is far worse and the pnes seizures could be triggered by a sound, smell, word, voice, . If you have pnes get a referral to a community psychotherapist who can do EMDR. It's amazing. Medicare will cover most of it. I went to my community health with the senior psychotherapist had 2 years free because of my trauma.

May 6
A MyEpilepsyTeam Member

NES ( non Epileptic Seizure )
NES seizure are psychological .

Epilepsy seizures are caused by abnormal brainwaves.

May 4
MyEpilepsyTeam

Having a non-epileptic seizure can be really unsettling, especially when it looks and feels so much like an epileptic one. It's completely understandable to want to learn more about what happened.

Non-epileptic seizures, often called Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures (PNES), are episodes that resemble epileptic seizures but Show Full Answer

Having a non-epileptic seizure can be really unsettling, especially when it looks and feels so much like an epileptic one. It's completely understandable to want to learn more about what happened.

Non-epileptic seizures, often called Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures (PNES), are episodes that resemble epileptic seizures but are not caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Instead, they are thought to be the body's physical response to psychological stress or emotional distress. Key things to know about PNES:

- They can look identical to epileptic seizures from the outside
- They are often triggered by stress, trauma, or emotional distress
- Antiseizure medications typically do not work for PNES
- It is possible to have both epileptic seizures and PNES at the same time
- A MyEpilepsyTeam member shared: *"I found out I have both generalized epilepsy and psychogenic nonepileptic events"* How is it diagnosed?

A neurologist will typically take a detailed history and may order a video EEG (electroencephalogram), which is considered the best test to distinguish between epileptic and non-epileptic seizures. Treatment options include:

- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which has shown strong results
- Mindfulness-based therapy to help reduce seizure frequency
- Identifying and avoiding personal triggers
- Tracking seizures using apps to spot patterns

The most important next step is speaking with a healthcare provider to get a proper evaluation and confirm what happened. You don't have to figure this out alone!

May 4

Related Questions

View All
A MyEpilepsyTeam Member asked a question 💭
Burleson, TX

A MyEpilepsyTeam Member asked a question 💭
Kilmarnock, UK

A MyEpilepsyTeam Member asked a question 💭
Florence, CO