Is FND Just in Your Head?

Is FND Just in Your Head?

parents, if someone tells you that your teen’s functional neurological disorder, short for FND, is just a mental health issue, like it’s just a stress, it’s just anxiety, it’s just trauma, then I’m here to tell you, I don’t want to say they’re lying, but that is absolutely not true. I would say specifically that is not entirely true. And there’s more to it, and it’s not just as simple as go-to therapy. So, let’s break it down together. Hi, my name is Dr. O. I’m a pediatric health psychologist and the founder of teen fend academy which is an online coaching program to help teens with FND and their parents to get better so they can get their life back. So let’s talk about FND. And this is really interesting topic as a licensed psychologist to say this but FND used to be called a conversion disorder. And very recently I actually got a comment or message from somebody that oh yeah after all these years I have been diagnosed with FND aka conversion disorder. And I’m like what do you mean aka also known as conversion disorder? It’s kind of like, well, now I have an internet in my house, aka dialup. And I don’t even know if you know what dialup means these days. Maybe like another example would be, guess what? I just got a cell phone and it is Apple iPhone 3, you know, kind of thing, right? So like, yes, sort of kind of, but it’s very different from what it is right now. And so FND used to be yes called conversion disorder but it’s not the same thing because conversion disorder is a purely mental health diagnosis coming from anxiety stress and trauma and a lot of people still confuse doctors FND is same thing as a conversion disorder. Therefore it must be stress anxiety and trauma. Well let me tell you if FND is all about anxiety guess what everyone who has anxiety will have FND. So, you might be wondering, well, okay, I see tons of people who have anxiety and then they don’t have FND. Well, that’s right. Because FND is a brain body functional disorder. That threelet does not say anything about anxiety, right? The FND, it’s a functional neurological disorder and therefore it is a communication breakdown problem between a brain and a body. It’s not a disease. That’s why structurally there’s nothing wrong with it. But it is a functional to make it real. That’s why it’s not made up. But I think you know that already. My child is not making things up. I you know that right? But a lot of doctors still believe yeah your child is making things up. So they just need to snap out of it. So send them to the therapist. They’re going to correct your child. No. No. No. No. No. It doesn’t work. It is literally the brain is misfiring the communication command to the body even though the body is not really wanting to hear that. It’s just like there’s the communication breakdown is happening. And to be fair though, emotional stress and trauma or anxiety can, you know, play a role even a physical illness. And I see a lot of kids who had concussion and now they’re struggling with FND, right? Or this virus, you know, infection, medical procedure. Any of these can set it off, but that doesn’t mean that’s the reason why it’s happening. The symptoms are all real, but the solution needs to go beyond mental health needs is really the problem here. And that’s why many parents are so dedicated. Great students maybe like you are listening to what the doctors are saying, right? And so they’re like, “Oh my gosh, you have to go see a therapist.” Okay, we’re going to find a therapist. Whoever that is, right? Oh yeah, you need to go see a physical therapist. Okay, we’re going to find a physical therapist, whatever that is. So, I’m not saying that you guys are not dedicated. Quite frankly, it’s the opposite. However, if you’re coming from a place of the wrong island, so to speak, because you were led to the wrong island, then whatever the solution that you’re trying to find isn’t going to get to the right solution. So, that’s why it’s really starts with knowing what it is. And I’m here to tell you FND is not just a mental health issues. Now, if this is clarifying some things for you with your child’s FND, please hit subscribe and the like button because then that means that YouTube thinks that this video is important and then start sharing with so many other people and that means guess what? More awareness. Therefore, providers are more aware and then they feel more confident about giving a diagnosis of FND, which is not the same thing as conversion disorder or just pure mental health issues. And your child is more likely to get the help they need soon. That’s why please hit like and subscribe. Now, back to the video. So, as I mentioned, talk therapy alone isn’t necessarily going to solve the problem. And in fact, I don’t necessarily recommend talk therapy in the beginning, especially if your child is having so many symptoms. I mean, imagine that your child is having this non-stop FND episode, whatever that is, whether it’s a non-epileptic seizures or functional seizures is the corrective term these days, or paralysis or having dissociation, it’s just fainting and then having this muscle twitches and tweaks and things like that. Can you imagine your child being able to engage, focus, let alone remember whatever they talk in a therapy session? Right? So if your child is so so symptomatic, talk therapy to really dig in the root cause of these problems or triggers right in the beginning may or may not be the answer. And that’s why in my program teeny academy actually this talk therapy kind of elements it’s still a coaching but I talk a lot about cognitive behavioral therapy techniques and so many other techniques rather towards the end of the program because it is there for a reason right because the first thing that your child needs to learn other than what FND is is to learn the skills and strategies to regulate the nervous system and a lot of people think also oh FND is all about nervous system glitch So as long as I send my child to the acupuncturist chiropractor to regulate the nervous system then that’s all it needs to solve the problem right the answer is not quite far from it actually because what works is this fullbody skill-based approach knowing what FND is exactly so you’re not chasing after the wrong target and tons and tons of how to get better starting with nervous system regulation strategies but doesn’t end with that there’s so much more to cover. That’s why you need to focus on how to build a strong foundation to lead your child to be resilient. So the recovery from FND isn’t so much about the absence of episode. It’s almost like, well, I want the good weather, therefore I’m going to do anything and everything I can to prevent the rain from happening. Well, if you can do that, great. But if you can’t then the smarter way to still enjoy your life is I am going to be prepared if there is a rain by having different gears or choosing different activities and things like that right so it’s not like the rain is stopping your life all completely so this fend is kind of same thing and I again it really needs to start with what FND is to begin with so then you have a better understanding of where to shift your focus on towards recovery. So in my program, the recovery is really about being resilient. Therefore, your child is learning skills and strategies to deal with FND much, much better. And beyond that, guess what? The next thing they know, they don’t have FND anymore. So they’re reaching to the same goal, but how to get there is very different because they’re learning what is biological influencing factors, psychological influencing factors, and social influencing factors for FND. And then what was cooking in the oven for a long time which is predisposing factors and what triggered the symptoms to come to the surface which is a precipitating factors and what is keeping the fire of FND alive which is a perpetuating factors. Now you need to know all of these grids in order to be done with FND. That’s why talk therapy alone or nervous system glitch by acupuncture and chiropractor. I’m not saying that like an acupuncture or chiropractor is the bad, but that is just a small pieces of puzzles to complete the whole picture. Now, if you’re still confused about where to begin because it’s just so much to cover or knowing what FND really is, so then what then, right? Then watch this next video and then keep watching so then you can build the skills and strategies for yourself today starting with knowing what FND is. Well, thank you so much for watching this video and I will see you in the next video.

Watch how I’ve helped 100+ families resolve Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) even though they tried everything and failed: https://www.teenfndacademy.com/tfa-yt

If you’ve been told that your teen’s FND is “just trauma” or “just stress,” you’re not alone, but you’re not being told the full truth either. Many families come to me after trying therapy, mindfulness, even inpatient programs… and still seeing no real change.

In this episode, I explain why those explanations fall short and what actually helps teens recover. You’ll learn the deeper science of Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), how the brain and body disconnect under stress, and why retraining that system takes more than just talk therapy. Whether you’re newly diagnosed or deep in the frustration of trial-and-error, this video brings clarity and hope.

💬 Learn how families are helping their teens recover from FND → https://www.teenfndacademy.com/tfa-yt

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CHAPTERS

• Why “just trauma” isn’t the full story
• The invisible disconnect in FND
• Why therapy alone doesn’t fix it
• The parent role in real recovery
• What leads to lasting change

#fnd #teenfndacademy #fndrecovery #fndfunctionalneurologicaldisorder #fndcanberesolved #drjinlee #fndmindbody #fnottjusttrauma

Teen FND Academy and the information provided by me (Dr. Jin Lee) are solely intended for informational purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although I’m a licensed clinical psychologist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your doctor or medical provider before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.