Functional Movement Disorder Caused by Stress?

@katcollins I can’t believe a doctor would tell you that. FMD never really goes away on its own and, as in my case, the longer it goes on, the worse it gets. And, I’ve tried a number of meds and failed — one (Primidone) put me in a fugue state 5 days in a row until I figured it out.

I realize that many people don’t like or believe in the Internal Family Systems model, but I have seen in work in my FMD. I have tremors and body shaking and jerking, especially when I’m stressed. I have experienced IFS work in calming at least the shaking.

For example,, I was watching a movie a couple of weeks ago which got a little scary and my head jerking started up. I stopped the movie briefly, and went into a quick ‘session’ with the child part who was getting scared. I approached the part with calm and caring, telling her that she could go rest somewhere until the movie was over. My head jerking stopped immediately and I finished the movie.

IFS isn’t the gift wrapped cure for FMD. I still have head jerking and tremors regardless of my parts, but a lot of the jerking is now calm because I can talk to the traumatized parts.

@katcollins Have you considered EMDR? I’ve not tried it yet, but in my research I’ve read that it can take some of the stress out of a traumatic event.

@rashida MS usually has an onset of ages 38-55 not 75.

When did you stop taking the Paxil and may I ask why you stopped it?

@slarson14 my nephew was diagnosed in his early thirties - and he is in his mid forties now.

Sometimes MS progresses slowly so isn’t caught till later …🤷🏼‍♀️

@suzleigh I don’t know what IFS is…

@SusanEllen66 Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a therapy model built on the premise that each of us has different parts. Some parts are created in the moment of a traumatic event. These traumatized parts are there to take in that event to keep you safe from feeling the overwhelming burden of it. Other parts might be your younger self — when you wake up in the morning and your younger part says ‘just lay here awhile’ and your adult part says ‘no, you have appointments and need to get ready’.

I will say now that this is the craziest thing you will ever do! At first, I felt silly talking to myself, but after awhile, I became comfortable speaking to whichever part wanted to come out.

For example, last week my 22yo part came to me. She is being abused by her husband and received no help from her parents (abuse and abandonment). After talking to this part, I asked her if there was a place she would rather be — yes, a cottage with a fireplace and big fluffy bed.

So far I’ve ‘unburdened’ about a dozen parts, ranging in age 3/4 to a couple of parts which are ageless. If you can get into it, the results are stunning. I unburdened a holiday depression part last week, and I feel like a weight lifted off of me.

This therapy isn’t for everyone, but so many other therapy models had failed for me. This is the only one that clicked. Mostly because I’ve known that I have parts for nearly 40 years (when I thought I was schizophrenic).

@suzleigh interesting. While I was reading your reply I couldn’t help but think that the process sounds a bit like someone with DID. Dissociative Identity Disorder.
I lived 17 years with my husband who has DID.

I’m happy you have found a solution!

@SusanEllen66 IFS is actually a great model for those of us with DID. I actually don’t remember most of my life, but my parts do. They’ve come forward with information that I either haven’t thought about for years/decades, or didn’t know when it happened. They’re still not giving me the whole story though (the protectors are still in control).

@SusanEllen66 I think “conversion disorder” has fallen out of favor, instead itt’s Functional Movement / Function Neurological Disorder.

Looking up ‘conversion” you might run into a whole different thing.