TELLING FRIENDS AND FAMILY

🧠 How to Talk to Friends and Family About FND

(With Considerations Backed by Research)

✅ 1. Understand FND Yourself First

Before you talk to others, make sure you feel grounded in your understanding of FND.

• Simple definition: “FND is a disorder where neurological symptoms—like tremors, paralysis, or seizures—are caused by a problem with how the brain functions, not by structural damage.”
  
  

• This explanation reflects current neuroscience-based models of FND and emphasizes that symptoms are real and involuntary1.
  
  

✅ 2. Choose the Right Time and Setting

Psychotherapy research shows that sensitive disclosures are best received in low-stress environments2. Choose a quiet, private setting where your listener can give you their full attention.

✅ 3. Decide What You Want to Share

Be selective about what feels right to share. Disclosing a medical condition is a personal decision that may evolve over time. Sharing only what you’re comfortable with is supported by narrative therapy practices3.

✅ 4. Prepare for Reactions

Misunderstandings about FND are common. Some may think it’s “psychological” or “not real.” Medical studies emphasize that validating the reality of symptoms is critical to patient outcomes14.

• You can say: “FND is caused by how my brain processes signals, but the symptoms are completely real and disabling.”
  
  

• Offer trustworthy resources, like neurosymptoms.org, recommended by neurologists5.
  
  

✅ 5. Use Personal Framing

Explain how FND affects your daily life. Personal narratives foster empathy and engagement3.

• “Even though I look fine, my body doesn’t always cooperate with me. I can’t always predict when symptoms will flare up.”
  
  

✅ 6. Ask for the Support You Need

People often want to help but don’t know how. Be specific.

• “I don’t need solutions, just your patience on tough days.”
  
  

• “What helps me most is when people believe me and don’t treat me like I’m faking.”
  
  

Supportive communication styles improve relationships and mental health outcomes in chronic illness6.

✅ 7. Be Patient and Open to Ongoing Dialogue

People may need time to learn. Keeping the door open for future questions builds connection and reduces stigma7.

📚 References

Would you like a printable handout version of this, or something tailored to younger audiences or certain types of relationships (e.g., parents vs. friends)?

Footnotes

1. Stone, J., Carson, A., Duncan, R., Roberts, R., Warlow, C., Hibberd, C., ... & Sharpe, M. (2010). Symptoms ‘unexplained by organic disease’ in 1144 new neurology out-patients: How often does the diagnosis change at follow-up? Brain, 132(10), 2878–2888. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awp220 ↩ ↩2
   
   

2. Hill, C. E., & Knox, S. (2002). Self-disclosure. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 39(4), 413–420. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-3204.39.4.413 ↩
   
   

3. White, M., & Epston, D. (1990). Narrative Means to Therapeutic Ends. Norton & Co. ↩ ↩2
   
   

4. Edwards, M. J., Bhatia, K. P., & Carson, A. J. (2012). Functional (psychogenic) movement disorders: Merging mind and brain. The Lancet Neurology, 11(3), 250–260. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(11)70310-6 ↩
   
   

5. Stone, J. (n.d.). Neurologist-run patient education site on FND. www.neurosymptoms.org ↩
   
   

6. Epstein, R. M., & Street, R. L. (2007). Patient-Centered Communication in Cancer Care: Promoting Healing and Reducing Suffering. NIH Publication No. 07-6225. ↩
   
   

7. Greenberg, L. S., & Pascual-Leone, A. (2006). Emotion in psychotherapy: A practice-friendly research review. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 62(5), 611–630. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.20252 ↩

UPDATED 03/05/2025