Voices of FND by

notdefinedbyfnd — 2026-03-27 16:22:42 UTC

I describe FND like a piano that’s gone out of tune. The keys are still there and the instrument is intact, but the way the notes are played and heard isn’t quite right. In FND, the connection between the brain and body can be disrupted, so signals don’t come through the way they’re intended.

notdefinedbyfnd — 2026-03-27 16:28:08 UTC

I explain FND like a game of telephone, where messages can get distorted as they’re passed along. In FND, the communication between the brain and body can become disrupted, leading to symptoms that don’t match what the brain intends.

2026-04-01 14:45:55 UTC

I explain FND like a hot pocket. The crust is there and you cook it. Sometimes it comes out hot all the way and other times it's cold in the middle and you have to put it back in. Sometimes my brain works like its suppose too othere times it has to cook longer and still never gets all the way hot. Some days I am normal other days my body doesn't work the way I want it to..

Like Walking a Tightrope

2026-04-12 17:54:44 UTC

Imagine that simple movements like walking or picking up a pencil take as much focus as tightrope walking. Too little concentration, you mess up. Overthink it, mess up worse. And anxiety will really mess you up.

The good news is that like tightrope walking, it gets easier and easier with practice.

And unlike tightrope walking, we have experiences prior to FND where these simple movements were second nature. Sometimes focusing on something else can make these automatic movement patterns return.

Software vs Hardware

2026-04-13 01:39:54 UTC

People have typically understood the best when I say there is an issue with the "software" of my brain. That structurally, there is nothing wrong (ie. with the "hardware"), but that it misinterprets regular signals from the body as pain/ stress signals.

I say that to protect me from the threat my brain is perceiving, it will override the normal functions of my body and will send me into "sleep mode."

I also say that my symptoms seemed to appear as a result of my brain/ body not being able to handle anymore unreleased stressed, and therefore now even the slightest amount of disregulation (i.e. exerting too much energy from walking) can cause my body to power down for hours.

2026-04-13 13:44:38 UTC

I explain FND as a virus on a computer. On the outside, the computer looks fine, has all the correct parts in the correct places. However, when a virus enters the computer it does not work properly and you cannot do what you want on the computer. My brain and body are similar to this analogy in that structurally all the parts are there and in the correct place; however, there came a time when my system overloaded and the signals were not properly getting from my brain to my body.

In addition, I explain it as a neurological condition. In typical structural neurologic conditions there is a part of the brain or spinal cord that is affected by a lesion or something else and this affects how your body walks, talks, regulates itself etc. However, for you to function normally the nervous system also has to get the signals to the proper location. In FND those signals are not going to the right places or not being sent properly and in turn can make the person have unwanted movements, fatigue, swallowing difficulties, speech difficulties and much more. Everyone is vastly different in their symptoms and triggers like any other condition, no two people are the same.