09/10/2026
💜 PLEASE TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO READ AND HELP RAISE AWARENESS OF FND 💜
This week, my daughter experienced something that has left me feeling that more awareness is desperately needed about her medical condition, Functional Neurological Disorder (FND). She experienced what felt like discrimination because of her condition, and it has really made me think about how little people understand something they cannot necessarily see or recognise.
So, I wanted to share a little about FND, particularly how it affects my daughter, in the hope that it might help someone else in the future.
💜 So, what is FND?
FND stands for Functional Neurological Disorder. It is a genuine neurological condition that affects how the brain sends and receives signals to the body. It can cause a variety of symptoms, which differ from person to person.
FND is not the same as epilepsy, although both conditions can cause episodes that may be frightening or misunderstood by others. My daughter does not typically lose consciousness during her episodes.
I sometimes describe her episodes as being a little like a panic attack in terms of how they can come on and how reassurance and calming techniques can help. However, FND is not simply anxiety or a psychological problem. It is a complex neurological condition, and everyone’s experience is different.
💜 What does an FND episode look like for my daughter?
My daughter describes a strange floating sensation, almost like the resistance you feel when spinning around on a playground roundabout and trying to stretch your arm out.
She can experience:
• Slurred speech.
• Wobbliness and difficulty walking.
• A feeling that her whole body is resisting her.
• A general appearance that, to someone who doesn’t understand FND, could easily be mistaken for being drunk.
This last point is one of my biggest worries.
My daughter is a 17-year-old college student. She should be able to go out, meet friends and enjoy her independence without the fear of being judged or misunderstood because of a neurological condition she cannot control.
Imagine seeing a young person struggling to walk or slurring their words. Would you automatically assume they had been drinking? Would you judge them, laugh at them or walk away?
Or would you stop and consider that there might be a medical reason?
💜 What can help her during an episode?
For my daughter, reassurance, gentle distraction and having someone calmly stay with her can make a huge difference. Depending on the severity, her episodes can sometimes settle within around five minutes.
There is no single medication that cures FND. Management depends on the individual and may include specialist support, rehabilitation and learning techniques to help manage symptoms.
Recently, my daughter was alone in town when she felt an episode coming on. She called me while I was at work. By staying on the phone with her, talking calmly and reassuring her, I was able to help her settle enough to get herself to a safe place until I could reach her.
That is what she needed in that moment. Not judgement. Not assumptions. Just somebody who cared enough to help.
Of course, everyone’s experience of FND is different, and what helps one person may not help another.
💜 Why am I sharing this?
Because we cannot expect people to understand conditions they have never heard of. But we can help change that by talking about them.
FND is not attention-seeking. It is not someone putting it on. And someone who appears drunk, confused or unsteady is not necessarily under the influence of alcohol.
Sometimes, what you see on the outside tells you very little about what that person is experiencing on the inside.
My daughter deserves the same respect, kindness, understanding and independence as anyone else. So does every other person living with an invisible or misunderstood condition.
Please, if you ever see someone who appears to be struggling, don’t jump to conclusions. Check whether they’re okay. Offer help. Be kind.
You never know what someone is dealing with, and your kindness could make a frightening situation feel a little less scary.
💜 Help me spread awareness of FND. Please share this post. The more people who understand, the more people we can help. 💜
Thank you for taking the time to read this 🫶🏻
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