Table of contents:
- What is pseudoseizure?
- What are the symptoms of a pseudoseizure seizure?
- Pseudoseizure triggers
- Pseudoseizure diagnosis
- Pseudoseizure management
Seizures are usually closely associated with epilepsy or seizures. However, there is one type of seizure that is classified as non-epiletic (not related to epilepsy) known as a pseudoseizure. Symptoms of pseudoseizure seizures can be caused by mental disorders.
What is pseudoseizure?
Seizures are generally caused by abnormal electrical function of the brain. Disruption of electrical activity in the brain will cause the body's muscles to lose control over their movements. The muscles of the body will perform repetitive movements unconsciously and uncontrollably. Epileptic seizures can even make a person lose consciousness.
In contrast to seizures associated with epilepsy, the cause of pseudoseizure seizures is completely unrelated to disruption of electrical activity in the brain. A pseudoseizure is a seizure symptom caused by a severe psychological condition.
Pseudoseizure seizures are more experienced by women who have mental disorders than men.
What are the symptoms of a pseudoseizure seizure?
The seizure symptoms that may appear in people with mental disorders are actually not much different from those in people with epilepsy. Symptoms of a pseudoseizure seizure include:
- Uncontrolled repetitive muscle movements.
- Losing focus.
- Loss of consciousness.
- Feel dizzy.
- Dropped suddenly.
- The body feels stiff and the muscles are tense from contracting.
- Blank gaze.
- Not realizing what was happening around him.
Therefore, getting a proper and complete diagnosis of a mental health condition is important for managing pseudoseizure symptoms.
Pseudoseizure triggers
A pseudoseizure can coincide with the symptoms of the mental disorder that caused it. If a person suddenly has seizures but doesn't respond to epilepsy medications, they may also have certain mental health conditions that can trigger a pseudoseizure.
Various mental health problems with severe intensity can trigger this disorder. Pseudoseizures are more common in individuals who experience:
- Personality disorders.
- Trauma of physical and sexual abuse.
- Stress due to conflict in the family.
- Anger control disorder.
- Affective disorders.
- Have a history of panic attacks.
- Anxiety disorders.
- Obsessive compulsive disorder(OCD)
- Dissociative disorders.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD)
- Psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia
- History of drug abuse
- History of head trauma
- History attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Pseudoseizures are generally secondary conditions that arise as a result of certain mental health disorders. Thus, identifying the precipitating condition is the most important step in planning treatment and controlling symptom recurrence.
Pseudoseizure diagnosis
Without looking directly at the characteristics of the occurrence of seizures, it is difficult for doctors to distinguish between non-epileptic and epileptic seizures. The symptoms of a pseudoseizure seizure that a person reports will be very similar to those due to epilepsy.
In many cases, doctors will realize that the individual who experiences seizures is not caused by epilepsy because the epilepsy drugs that are given do not have the same effect as those with epilepsy.
Examination of brain activity can also be a diagnosis of pseudoseizure by observing abnormalities in brain nerve cell activity and differentiating it from the brain activity of people with epilepsy during seizures.
A medical history and exposure to mental stress as well as the opinion of several psychological, psychiatric and neurological experts are also needed to identify pseudoseizures and the conditions that cause them.
Pseudoseizure management
Pseudoseizures are treated with different methods, depending on the conditions that caused them. However, methods that focus on symptoms and management of exposure to sources of stress are generally employed. Some of the effective treatments for pseudoseizure include:
- Personal and family counseling
- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Teaches relaxation techniques
- Behavioral therapy
- Traumatic memory therapy
- Take antidepressants
- Treatment according to mental health disorders
There is no one type of therapy for treating pseudoseizures that is sure to be suitable for people with different mental health disorders. Therefore, psychiatrists also require a formal assessment of the stressors of each mental health disorder before suggesting an appropriate treatment method.
For example, if the stress and seizure triggers you experience come from trauma, then the recommended method of control is counseling or relaxation techniques such as meditation or keeping busy with exercise.
The appearance of pseudoseizure seizures cannot be eliminated or prevented just like that. However, controlling the recurrence of mental disorders can minimize the appearance of seizure symptoms in the patient.
