Hi Jake, there is no known cause or triggers for my son’s for PNES (this how Stanford physicians termed them) other then that they have a neurological source. He doesn’t close his eyes nor do his movements look anything like a seizure.
His movements are mostly in his right hand with which he has a continual inner dialogue. It prevents him from doing many activities, showing displeasure by jerking him by the neck, strangling him to the point of almost passing out at times, preventing him from getting up to use the bathroom etc. This last one looks as if someone is physically shoving him back into a chair or his bed.
My son also is diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder with Bipolar Disorder, Major Depression, General Anxiety, OCD and Chronic Fatigue. The internal dialogue frequently consists of his Hand verbally abusing him, telling him that he is lazy, unworthy, useless or morally inadequate etc.
He used to hold down 2 part-time jobs but as the PNES gets worse, he’s had to stop work. The Hand has even jerked the wheel of his car while driving! I can not find any clinical trials for which he qualifies. There is no known medication for it.
Thank you for your interest and. If you have any familiarity with this Disorder, I’d be most interested in hearing about it.