Tom Plender

#FND left me housebound for many years, unable to walk or use my arms. The turning point came when I met Prof Mark Edwards & finally received diagnosis & treatment. It’s still a battle but I am starting to play again. I hope my story shows with the right treatment, there is hope.

@awaisaftab Psychiatry is one of the most ambiguous areas of medicine, because the brain/mental illness is so complex-many unknowns. I think people who struggle to deal with complexity and ambiguity are often drawn to conspiracy thinking because it can provide simple answers

Seeing some interactions on Twitter today that remind me of this post from 2023. A Rationalist Approach to Psychiatric Conspiracy Theories “I don’t quite feel a burning anger against psychiatrists who respond to folks grappling with these questions with “lol, how stupid you have to be to believe this,” but I do feel terribly annoyed and frustrated... for every person with trapped priors, I believe there are many more on the fence, silent but observing the interactions, and often times, it is our behavior that will determine the trajectory their beliefs will take.” psychiatrymargins.com/p/a-rationalis…

A reminder for anyone who doubts Functional Neurological Disorder: People with #FND live with real symptoms, fear, uncertainty & real impact on their lives. Denying their dx, or using it as a weapon in arguments, only adds to stigma, isolation & harm. They are people, not labels.

@MTurner1996 Thats interesting, I don't have hyperphantasia but I've always thought the fact I have an unusually vivid imagination is a contributing factor to FND - I guess it's the downside of having a brain like this

@TomPlender I have it off the scale.

Great video explaining the predictive brain model and #FND youtube.com/watch?v=0Zjs-7…

@MTurner1996 This seems to be about hyperphantasia?

@jonstoneneuro @carlorovelli Great article- also like his point about the subjectivity of science, everything I've learnt from neuroscience/FND/predictive brain model seems to confirm bias is built into our perceptual systems - so a purely 'objective' experience or explanation of reality is impossible

I’m with @carlorovelli here. I don’t see a reason to have a ‘hard problem of consciousness’ Lessons here for FND

@EdinPublishing @RoySocMed @jonstoneneuro @DipeshVasant @RonaMossMorris @Tim_R_Nicholson @WilliamMcGeown @Brain_Tinkerer Great event - particularly enjoyed talks by @jonstoneneuro and @Brain_Tinkerer

🧵 Excellent multidisciplinary #mindbody event @RoySocMed yesterday. Great updates #FND #IBS #Pain thanks to @jonstoneneuro @DipeshVasant @RonaMossMorris @Tim_R_Nicholson @WilliamMcGeown @Brain_Tinkerer & many more!

@purposeful_pd Much of the medical profession still operates like a closed mediaeval guild. Patient perspective is essential, greater doctor/patient collaboration is the logical way forward - but sadly the 'doctor knows best' patriarchal model is still deeply embedded in medical culture

Patients provide the material for observation and then have to pay in order to access that completed scientific observation which is purportedly produced for patient benefit! Just a sample of the disconnect…

Parkinson’s has been known for over 200 yrs. We’ve spent billions researching it. For science to be amazed today by a tremor that varies with activity, a widely known fact among patients, leaves me speechless. The disconnect between neuroscience and its subjects is immeasurable.

It’s bad enough a doctor describes throwing water on patients and dismisses seizures as not real, but engaging in a mocking conversation about it is not acceptable. This normalises harm and undermines patient dignity and trust. Patients with #FND deserve better @RCHTWeCare

Discussion: "What is it like to be a self model?" Interlocutor: Susan Blackmore Host: @mathgrayuk youtube.com/watch?v=rVVy_f…

A must attend event @RoySocMed if you are a medical professional interested innovative treatment approaches to #FND - such as clinical hypnotherapy, brain/computer interface rehab @EdinPublishing @jonstoneneuro @Katlab_UCL @wendyburn

@EdinPublishing @FabNHSStuff @FNDSociety @FNDHopeUK @FNDAction @KH118118 @NielsDetert @GNielsen_Physio @Brain_Tinkerer @BibaStanton @MallamElizabeth @IoPPN_NREG 👏👏👏 really looking forward to this event!

Mind-body disorders -cause immense suffering, disablement & extremely common….what can #NHS do to help? Event may interest @FabNHSStuff @FNDSociety @FNDHopeUK @FNDAction @KH118118 @TomPlender @NielsDetert @GNielsen_Physio @Brain_Tinkerer @BibaStanton @MallamElizabeth @IoPPN_NREG

For accuracy, “functional somatic disorder” (FSD) isn’t a recognised consensus clinical category. Labelling #MECFS or #LongCovid this way isn’t evidence-based and risks misrepresenting complex conditions.

Laura Graham who is a masters researcher at York St John University UK is studying FND. She also has FND herself. She’s doing an international anonymous online survey if you would like to take part here's a link - yorksj.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_83…

@PutAimovigOnNHS Yes, but consider this .. many people with FND have been treated in the exact same way too. So in essence any denying, criticising, mocking, etc is just repeating that harm because there are real people sitting behind the FND diagnosis.