In Our Words
Personal Accounts of Living with Non-Epileptic Seizures
The Brainstorms Series

Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures (PNES) can cause blackouts, collapses, involuntary movements, loss of memory and have major impact on quality of life. Whereas epilepsy is caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain, PNES are psychological-based responses to triggers inside or outside the body that are perceived as threatening by the person affected. PNES are poorly understood by the medical community. It is common for doctors to struggle to explain this diagnosis, which can leave their patients frustrated and confused. Often people are told that their PNES are caused by "stress" and sent away with no further support or advice. It is no wonder that those affected feel isolated, abandoned and hopeless about living with the condition. In Our Words: Personal Accounts of Living with Non-Epileptic Seizures shows those diagnosed with PNES that they are not alone, and how others have courageously managed to come to terms with their seizures. These heartfelt personal accounts will also allow family, friends, healthcare providers and researchers to gain more understanding of the condition and work to provide a better quality of life to those living with PNES.

Markus Reuber is a Neurologist whose clinical work and research focuses on seizure disorders. He has been particularly interested in the diagnosis and treatment of psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES). Apart from helping to develop a clinical service for his own patients, as Chair of the Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizure Task Force of the International League Against Epilepsy, he has helped to advance the cause of individuals with PNES around the world. He is Editor-in-Chief of Seizure - European Journal of Epilepsy. Gregg Rawlings has recently completed a PhD in Clinical Neuroscience at The University of Sheffield, UK. His thesis involved investigating the subjective experience of living with epileptic or psychogenic non-epileptic seizures. Gregg has a BSc and MSc in Clinical and Health Psychology from Newcastle University, UK. He is currently a Senior Research Fellow at the Academic Unit of Elderly Care and Rehabilitation, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS. Steven C. Schachter is Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and Director of Research, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He is the Editor of the Brainstorm series of books on epilepsy and Editor-in-Chief of epilepsy.com.