Lesson 1493: Epileptic Seizures and Non-Epileptic Seizure Events (PNES)
Duration:60 minutes
Topic Introduction:
This course focuses on the location and understanding of "epilepsy-like seizures" and "non-epileptic events (PNES)" in conversion disorder/functional neurological disorders. Many people experience violent convulsions, confusion, falling, upward rolling of the eyes, generalized rigidity, or tremors, which seem very similar to epilepsy. However, after multiple EEG and imaging examinations, they are told "no typical epileptic discharges have been observed" and "it seems more like a functional seizure," leading to great confusion: the symptoms are real and frightening, but the diagnostic language sounds vague, even implying "are you faking it?" This course will not replace the evaluation and diagnosis of neurologists or epilepsy specialists. Instead, it helps you understand, under the premise that "acute and critical epilepsy and other serious organic diseases have been ruled out by specialists," that PNES is not faking or acting, but a functional pattern in which the nervous system is stuck in the form of "seizures" under long-term stress, trauma, and emotional imbalance. There are overlaps and differences between epilepsy-like manifestations and true epilepsy, requiring a professional team to make a joint judgment. This course will guide you through a typical medical experience, common misunderstandings and stigmas, how family members and healthcare workers are involved, and teach you to talk about these episodes in clearer, less self-blaming language: respecting medical rigor while acknowledging the real fear and strain you experience. The course will also guide you in observing triggering situations, warning signs, and safe coping mechanisms, laying the foundation for subsequent rehabilitation training, psychotherapy, and life adjustment.
▲ AI Interaction: Draw your own "seizure map"“
Please recall your most recent 1–3 typical epileptic seizures or PNES events, describing them as specifically as possible: ① What you were doing, who you were with, and what you were most concerned about or worried about in the 30 minutes before the seizure; ② What the seizure process was like—which parts of your body twitched, whether you fell, whether you experienced confusion or a subsequent "dazed feeling"; ③ What did those around you see and do (e.g., taking you to the hospital, taking videos, calling for help); ④ The initial explanation and examination results given by the hospital or doctor at the time.
Next, write down your first reaction when you hear terms like "functional seizure/non-epileptic event": Do you feel relieved, or more angry, ashamed, or suspicious? Has anyone made you feel like you were "suspecting them of acting"? Have any doctors or therapists made you feel understood?
After submission, AI will help you: ① Organize these events into a "timeline and trigger sketch"; ② Mark possible triggering situations (such as conflict, crowds, memories, long-term repressed emotions) and warning signs (shortness of breath, chest tightness, blurred vision, dizziness, etc.); ③ Assist you in writing a "statement for doctors or family members" in clearer language, without over-embellishing or losing respect for your own experience.
○ Music-guided approach: a buffer period for "returning to the body" after an attack.
Whether it's epilepsy or PNES, after each seizure, the body and nervous system experience a "post-seizure period": some people feel extremely tired, have headaches, and body aches, while others are overwhelmed by intense shame, self-blame, or a "mind blank." The music practice in this lesson is not to prevent seizures, but to provide a short, safe buffer after a seizure, giving you a chance to slowly return to your body and to the present moment.
Practice method: During non-acute periods, and with your doctor's permission, choose a 10-12 minute piece of slow-paced, simple instrumental music and use it as "post-seizure recovery music." Whenever a seizure ends, your vital signs stabilize, and you are in a safe environment, you can play this music at an appropriate time: For the first few minutes, focus only on feeling the weight of your body against the sofa, bed, or chair, allowing fatigue and emotions to exist; in the middle, gently scan your body for areas that are particularly sore or tight, silently repeating "This is really tiring"; in the last few minutes, shift your attention to one or two external sensory cues, such as light from the window or distant sounds, allowing your brain to slowly retreat from "seizure mode" back to the feeling of "being in the world."
You don't need to force yourself to relax. Just reserve a musical buffer for yourself during each aftershock period, so that the "end of the attack" is not only the symptom stopping, but also includes a gentle ending.
Aromatherapy Drink: A soothing drink for those feeling "fear" and "shame".
For many people who have experienced PNES or epileptic seizures, what truly torments them is not just the seizure itself, but also the prolonged fear and shame that follows: worrying about another seizure, fearing others will see the recording, and repeatedly imagining how others will judge them. This course suggests that you prepare an aromatherapy drink for post-seizure comfort. As long as you are not allergic, you can choose a calming combination of chamomile and lavender, a refreshing combination of lemon balm and peppermint, or a gentle combination of rose and orange peel.
When an attack has passed and you are in a relatively safe environment, but you start to fall into a series of thoughts like "I'm so ashamed" and "Am I causing trouble for others?", you can brew yourself a cup of this regular drink. While waiting for it to steep, do only three small things: ① Observe the tea color change from light to dark; ② Smell the aroma, feeling it pass through your nasal cavity and spread to your chest; ③ Whisper to yourself, "What just happened was terrible, but I did my best in that moment."“
This is not a substitute for "psychotherapy," but a specific little action to remind yourself that after an episode, you have the right to gentleness and comfort, not just self-blame and reprimand.
○ Raw Food Therapy: Replenishing the Nervous System with "Basic Fuel" After Recurrent Attacks“
Frequent epileptic-like or PNES seizures can leave you feeling "repeatedly drained": you're tense before a seizure, exhausted during it, and extremely tired, weak, and slow-thinking afterwards. If you're in this state and often have irregular eating habits, relying solely on coffee and snacks to get through it, it can make it even harder for your body to recover from the aftereffects.
Raw food therapy, within the limits of your doctor's approval, encourages you to prepare a simple but high-quality "post-attack basal fuel" for yourself: for example, a small plate of dark leafy greens (such as spinach or romaine lettuce) with purple cabbage, shredded carrots, cherry tomatoes, and a small amount of nuts and seeds; or a fruit bowl consisting of apple slices, kiwi, berries, and orange segments, with a little yogurt or plant-based yogurt. In the hours following an attack, if you are able to eat, prepare a small plate like this for yourself. The goal isn't to eat a lot, but simply to send the signal that your body is trying to replenish its energy.
When eating, deliberately slow down your movements and focus on the strength of chewing, the crispness or softness of fruits and vegetables, and the temperature and weight at the moment of swallowing. Silently tell yourself, "This bite is a little gift to my nervous system that is working hard to recover."“
These small acts of nourishment are neither forbidden foods nor magical remedies, but rather a concrete and visible way of showing "I am taking care of this hardworking body."
Supporting the recovery of the nervous system
Rebuilding trust in the body
Healing Recipes
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○ Theme Mandala - Lightning and Waves: Three concentric circles before, during, and after the attack (to be viewed, not drawn)
Choose a mandala with a dense central texture that gradually loosens outwards, featuring wavy or radiating lines, and practice simply by looking at it. You can think of the innermost circle as "those few minutes of the attack," the middle circle as "long-term accumulated stress and traumatic memories," and the outermost circle as "current life support and resources."
While watching, first focus your gaze on the inner circle, acknowledging the fear and loss of control you felt at that moment: "Those few minutes really felt like being struck by lightning; I couldn't fully control myself." Then, slowly move your gaze outwards to the middle layer, gently asking yourself: "Before this and these previous episodes, what kind of lifestyle, interpersonal conflicts, unspoken grievances, or traumas did I endure?" Finally, move your gaze to the outermost circle, observing the more expansive patterns, and considering what resources might be gradually added: a doctor who understands you, family and friends willing to accompany you, the possibility of rehabilitation and psychotherapy, and the self-care you are practicing.
Mandala drawing is not about depicting something, but about observation: observing that an attack is no longer just an isolated disaster, but embedded in a complex web of life—containing the past, the present, and a support network that has not yet fully unfolded. You don't need to change anything immediately; you just need to acknowledge the existence of all three layers through repeated observation.
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○ Medieval Gothic Calligraphy Exercise: "An outburst is not acting; I deserve to be understood"
The Gothic calligraphy practice sentences for this lesson are:
“I’m not acting when I have an episode; I deserve to be understood.”
People who experience PNES or epileptic seizures often suffer double the pain: one from the body and nervous system itself, and the other from external suspicion and stigma—even beginning to doubt themselves. This lesson invites you to use medieval Gothic calligraphy to write a basic statement of your stance.
Please draw simple grid lines on a piece of paper and slowly write this sentence in Gothic script. As you write, let each vertical stroke fall steadily, as if you are building pillars for yourself: the first half, "an attack is not acting," does not deny psychological factors, but emphasizes that "regardless of the mechanism, these are serious and real neurological events"; the second half, "I deserve to be understood," reminds you that you have the right to expect a rigorous yet humane explanation, rather than being simply and crudely labeled.
The handwriting doesn't need to be perfect; as long as the entire sentence is written on the paper, it's like a small "testimony to yourself." You can keep this paper where you keep your test reports, medical cards, or epidural records. When you're overwhelmed by doubt or self-blame again, take a look at this bold, black-inked sentence and let it speak for you the words you might not have been able to say on the spot.
○ Guided Art Therapy: A Timeline and Safety Plan for an Outbreak“
Draw a horizontal timeline on a piece of paper and mark the five points from left to right: "One day/several hours before the attack", "10 minutes before the attack", "During the attack", "1 hour after the attack", and "24 hours after the attack".
Below each node, write down short phrases describing what happened during each stage of a typical episode: for example, your sleep patterns and stressful events the day before the episode; your physical sensations and mood swings in the 10 minutes before the episode; how others saw you during the episode; the fatigue, headache, or confusion one hour after the episode; and the impact on your entire day. Then, leave a little space next to each node and write "How I wish others could help me" or "A small thing I can do for myself," even if it's just "Remind me to breathe slowly," "Help me elevate my head," "Help me drink some water after the episode," "Remind me to eat," or "Accompany me to my follow-up appointment the next day."
Once completed, quietly observe this timeline: you'll discover that an attack is no longer just a single moment, but a process with a beginning, middle, and end, one that can be understood and prepared for. You don't need to immediately turn it into a formal "safety plan"; simply drawing this structure on paper is already giving yourself more safety and options.
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Lesson 1493 - Log Guidance
① Choose the epileptic seizure or PNES event that left the deepest impression on you, and starting from "the day before the seizure", write down its details in chronological order: what happened, what you were thinking, and who was present.
② Write down the three most important things you’ve heard in the medical system related to this type of episode (whether reassuring, doubtful, or explanatory), and describe how they made you feel.
③ Try writing a 3-5 sentence "self-explanation" for yourself, as if you were explaining to a friend who is willing to listen but doesn't know much about PNES: what these seizures mean to you, how they affect your life, and what you most want others to understand.
④ Finally, write down a sentence you would like to say to yourself after each episode, such as: "I was really scared at that moment, but that doesn't mean I was faking it, or that I have no future."“
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When you are willing to further understand the stress, trauma, and maintenance mechanisms behind epileptic seizures and non-epileptic seizure events (PNES) based on professional assessment, and prepare some specific comfort and support for yourself before and after a seizure, these seizures are no longer just inexplicable disasters, but also become a door for you to re-understand the nervous system and re-weave a sense of security—slowly, but not without direction.
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