Full Description
Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is a common but often misunderstood condition, leaving many individuals experiencing FND feeling frightened and isolated without the proper knowledge to support their personal wellbeing. Coping with Functional Neurological Disorder responds directly to this problem, written from the unique perspective of a clinical psychologist with lived experience of FND, to provide accessible explanations of symptoms and practical guidance for supporting wellbeing.
Structured around four key areas relating to FND, chapters offer hope, opportunities for connection and tools to support recovery and resilience. Topics explored include, but are not limited to:
Explaining FND, including its causes, neural underpinnings and symptoms
Practical ideas to support readers in making their condition more predictable and manageable
Bringing together knowledge of FND and wellbeing strategies, allowing readers to learn to attune to their bodies and balance personal needs with the demands of daily life
Widening the lens of FND to consider the role of friends, family and professional networks in supporting long-term recovery.
Readers will be encouraged to approach FND with compassion, building their understanding of their own unique experiences of FND, and creating a plan for symptom management and prevention of relapses.
An essential book for individuals with FND, and those who support them, this book offers hopeful yet reliable and psychologically informed advice for supporting physical and mental wellbeing. It will also be of interest to professionals working with individuals with FND, such as mental health and medical practitioners, seeking to better understand this condition.
Contents
Table of Contents
Part One: Making FND more understandable
1. What is FND?
2. The stories behind FND symptoms
3. Understanding the causes for FND
4. Understanding the altered brain networks in FND
Part Two: Making FND more predictable
5. Making your triggers for FND symptoms predictable
6. From predictability to attunement
7. Giving yourself an emotional dictionary
Part Three: making FND more manageable
8. Developing emotional regulation skills
9. Over control and avoidance: predictability imposters
10. Managing cognitive symptoms and brain fog in FND
11. Managing neurological fatigue in FND
12. Coping with severe and chronic FND
Part Four: Supporting the whole system and thinking for the long term
13. MDT support for FND
14. Support from family and friends
15. Obstacles to FND recovery
16. Rolling with the ups and downs of FND recovery
17. Coping with FND: Finding the path to recovery
