Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) - articles, social media and discussion

[Peter T]

Maybe what I'm thinking about is whether the concepts "functional disorder" and "functional neurological disorder" have some justification, even if their application to ME/CFS is invalid.

They potentially relate to some meaningful clinical groupings, for example people displaying non epileptic seizures, but ‘functional’ is generally used as a synonym for ‘psychogenic’ which is not evidenced and are increasingly lumped together so people with IBS are offered the same treatment as people with non epileptic seizures or people with ME/CFS. Usually this is directive CBT and exercise supported by studies as bad as those used to justify CBT/GET for us.

Also there seems to be currently empire building with even when an underlying biomedical condition is identified they want to hang onto the idea of a concurrent functional disorder, as if somehow having a stroke or MS means you are more at risk of an additional functional condition.

Though there are meaningful clinical groupings within the ‘functional’ label and many feel validated that their very real symptoms are being validated, I strongly believe that the term functional either reflects the diagnostician’s theoretical biases or is used rather than admit that we just don’t know.

 

[Sean]

Maybe what I'm thinking about is whether the concepts "functional disorder" and "functional neurological disorder" have some justification,

How can we determine if they do or not?

Because, thus far, those making this claim have offered no robust proof of it.

 

[DigitalDrifter]

At this stage there is no possibility left that they are merely incurious, ignorant, or incompetent. That excuse simply does not exist.

Could be malicious incompetence.

 

[Sean]

Or malicious non-compliance.