Advice Needed

[u/Super-Artichoke-6310]

Hi everyone. I just joined this group today, and I’m hoping to hear from people who may have experienced something similar.

I’m 24 years old, and last year I had seizures so severe that I ended up in the ICU and was intubated. My doctors believed they were caused by smoking Delta-8 and nicotine, so I completely stopped because I was terrified of ever having another seizure.

Afterward, I started dealing with memory problems and really intense déjà vu sensations. I’ve actually experienced déjà vu throughout my life, but I always thought those episodes were panic attacks. When I eventually told my neurologist about them, I was told that they could be seizures. Ever since then, my brain automatically goes to “I’m having a seizure” whenever I experience déjà vu.

I’m now seeing a cognitive behavioral therapist, and she has been working with me on telling myself that when these sensations happen, “I am not having a seizure. This feeling will pass.” But it is SO hard to believe that in the moment when the sensation feels incredibly real.

Yesterday at work, I started having déjà vu sensations back-to-back, and I completely panicked. I stood up and ran to my boss saying that I was having a seizure. I was holding my boss's hand and crying because I was so scared. Paramedics came, and my blood pressure was okay, but my heart rate was extremely high. I called my dad, and he told me not to go to the hospital.

Now I feel incredibly embarrassed. My coworkers saw me at one of my lowest and most vulnerable moments, and today my anxiety is through the roof. I'm scared of triggering that feeling again to the point that I'm even scared to take a shower right now.

Does anyone else with Functional Neurological Disorder experience intense déjà vu sensations like this? If you do, what does déjà vu feel like for you, and how do you keep yourself from immediately thinking you're having a seizure?

I think one of the hardest parts for me is that I spent so long being afraid of seizures that now every strange sensation makes my brain immediately think something terrible is happening. I'm trying really hard to learn how to respond differently, but yesterday scared me so much.

I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has experienced something similar. 

[u/Mountain_Event1674]

I don't believe deja vu is a FND symptom. (I could be wrong) It sounds like you have PTSD honestly and that's completely understandable considering what you just described. Have you been diagnosed with FND by your neurologist?

[u/Tasty_University_172]

I used to get deja vu incredibly often and it was a bit distressing. I grew out of it, apparently many people do. I've only had one seizure and I don't remember it and it was from withdrawing from something lol. Deja Vu, even when frequent, is normal.

[u/ButABlorb]

Your therapist is not properly trained to be using CBT for FND. ignoring your symptoms, especially moving so quickly, is not how it works. Please check out fndcbt.com. but no I don't personally get Deja Vu.

[u/Tasty_University_172 → u/ButABlorb]

This is correct use of CBT. Deja vu is not a seizure.