Narrative Medicine: Communication Therapy for the Communication Disorder of Functional Seizures

What is it about?

Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures (PNES), also known as functional seizures (FS), can be understood as a communication disorder in which distress is expressed somatically in a pathological way instead of an adaptive and verbal manner. A seizure-like event may provide distraction or escape from an overwhelming situation or experience, but this escape comes at a severe cost to the patient. Patients with PNES are frequently misdiagnosed, and accurate diagnosis may be delayed for many years.

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Why is it important?

PNES may cause severe disruption of the patient's quality of life in terms of employment or schooling as well as relationships and activities of daily living. Untreated or ineffectively treated PNES can inflict enormous personal and financial burden on the patient. Patients with PNES may feel isolated and misunderstood. They may experience a loss of freedom and dignity because of PNES. Narrative Medicine (NM) is a communication therapy that engages the patient's life story and overwhelming experiences through interactive conversations and writing exercises. NM seeks to help patients identify meaning and identity in the context of their lives and challenges. NM sessions can help patients to overcome family or personal barriers and taboos about communication on difficult topics.

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