'IT'S STOLEN MY LIFE'
Childhood bullying left me suffering 17 seizures a day and tics so bad I stab myself in the head
As many as 100,000 Brits are thought to suffer from the same condition
A WOMAN with a rare disorder which causes her to have up to 17 seizures a day says it has "taken her life away".
Blissica Pearson, 22, believes the trauma she went through at school, having been bullied, triggered her condition.
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She woke up in September 2023 with "excruciating" stomach pains and was rushed to hospital.
But after a CT scan and chest X-ray, doctors couldn't find anything wrong and she was discharged.
The pain returned the following day but medics were still unable to find a clear cause so sent her home with morphine.
Still in agony, Blissica returned to A&E a third time and began to tic and spasm "almost five times a second". She also struggled to talk.
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Doctors were eventually able to stabilise her but still couldn't pinpoint the issue and she continued to suffer from extreme tics and spasms.
After a visit to a chiropractor to relieve pain in her jaw, Blissica was urged to have a brain scan.
Within 20 minutes of sitting down with a private neurologist, she was diagnosed with functional neurological disorder (FND) - a problem with how the brain sends and receives messages.
The exact cause of FND is unknown, but factors such as chronic pain, fatigue or stress can make patients more susceptible, according to the National Organization for Rare Disorders.
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Since her diagnosis, Blissica hasn't been able to do things on her own or work due, and she regularly loses the ability to speak.
Blissica, a former head of shipping from Maidstone, Kent, said: "I have five to 17 seizures a day. It's taken my life away.
"I can't prepare food because I have tics and I end up punching myself in the head with a knife in my hand.
"When I have stressful situations I can lose my speech again. I'm always dropping and falling over.
"I can't curl my hair either because it results in burning from the hair straighteners when I tic."
Despite her difficulties, she said she is determined not to let FND define her.
"I can't do anything alone, so I have to rely and count on other people, but I'm not letting it be my life," Blissica added.
"I remember when I was having my brain scan and I was doing my eyelashes whilst waiting. I've not let myself crumble to FND.
"Even to see my partner, my family has to drive me and he drops me home. I can't learn to drive now until I've recovered.
"I can't work anymore. I am getting sick pay at the moment but that stops after 28 weeks so it'll be stopping in a month.
"That's terrifying and there's no way I can work."
I can't do anything alone. It's taken my life away.
Blissica Pearson
Blissica believes the severe bullying she experienced at school may have contributed to her FND.
The NHS says the condition can happen for various reasons, but "stressful events in the past or present" can be a potential trigger.
"I've gone through a lot of trauma from childhood," Blissica said.
"At school, I was horrendously bullied. Someone took a photo of me as I was getting changed in year nine and shared it round the school.
"But for years at school I was bullied and attacked, so much so that I changed my name when I was older.
"That was very traumatising as a kid. I was too scared to leave the house for years."
What is functional neurological disorder?
Functional neurological disorder (FND) describes a problem with how the brain receives and sends information to the rest of the body.
The NHS says it is easier to understand when thinking about the brain as a computer.
"In someone with FND, there's no damage to the hardware or structure of the brain, it's the software or program running on the computer that isn't working properly," the health service says.
"The problems that cause FND are going on in a level of the brain that you cannot control."
The most common symptoms include:
- Arm and leg weakness
- Seizures
- Tremors
- Muscle spasms
- Unsteady when walking
- Tics
- Facial jerks and twitches
- Sudden falls
- Numbness or pins and needles
- Memory or concentration problems
- Speech or swallowing difficulties (e.g. slurred words, stutters, mixing up words, hoarseness, feeling like there is something stuck in your throat)
- Dizziness
- Double or blurred vision
- Dissociation
Doctors don't know the exact cause, but say it can happen for "a wide range of reasons" - and often more than one - including a migraine, stressful events, and the brain trying to get rid of a painful sensation.
FND can be short-lived or last for many years.
Treatment is available to help manage and improve the condition, including physiotherapy, psychological therapy and medication.
An estimated 50,000 to 100,000 people in the UK have FND, but many people, including healthcare professionals, have never heard of it.
Women appear disproportionately affected, making up between 60 and 75 per cent of patients.
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After being diagnosed, Blissica lost her speech entirely - but music and therapy have helped her get it back more than anything else.
"I couldn't talk as I was a mess at the time," she said.
"But I regained my speech a few weeks later. My sister would play Justin Bieber songs in the car and I would try to sing along and mumble.
"I remember the doctor saying FND could be reversed with the likes of CBT, but it was really bad for me when I tried that.
"I'm trying therapy at the moment, and if the worst comes to worst, I'm going to go into FND rehab at the end of the year."
Blissica said she is sharing her story so others in a similar position feel less alone, and to encourage them to seek help.
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"Therapy is so important for everyone," she said.
"Don't let FND take over your life, if you can."
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