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What is Functional Neurological Disorder (FND)?
This sheet is for people who have been told they may have FND, and for family or friends supporting them. It is general information from FND CONNECT CIC — not a diagnosis and not a substitute for clinical care.
In plain English
Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is a genuine neurological condition. It means there is a problem with how the nervous system is functioning — how the brain and body send, receive and process signals — even when standard scans or routine tests may look normal.
A helpful analogy some clinicians use: the “hardware” of the nervous system may look intact, but the “software” (networks and signalling) is misfiring. That does not make symptoms imaginary.
Symptoms are real
FND can include weakness, paralysis, tremor, dystonia, gait problems, sensory changes (numbness, pain, altered vision or hearing), speech or swallowing difficulties, cognitive fog, blackouts, and functional (dissociative) seizures.
Symptoms often fluctuate. A better hour or “good day” does not mean unlimited capacity. Effort, stress, sleep loss, heat, illness and sensory load can all influence how symptoms show up.
Common myths — and the facts
Myths
- “It’s all in your head” / attention-seeking
- “Scans are normal so nothing is wrong”
- “You could stop this if you tried harder”
- “FND only happens to anxious people”
Facts
- Symptoms are involuntary and real
- Normal imaging does not rule FND out
- Many people improve with the right rehab plan
- FND can affect anyone; mental health can co-exist but is not the whole story
Safety first
Call 999 for a suspected stroke, first seizure, severe breathing difficulty or other medical emergency. For urgent concerns that are not an emergency, contact NHS 111 where available or your local urgent-care service. Do not assume new or different symptoms are FND.
Continue overleaf for practical next steps, a personal plan and sources →