Pseudoseizures among Refugee Population: A Case Study

Pseudoseizures also known as "psychogenic non-epileptic seizures" are caused because of stress, emotional disturbances or from traumatic psychological experiences of refugees/victims of torture. There are lot of other physical conditions can produce seizures which are not epileptic but it is very important to investigate all possible causes for the seizures. Like epileptic seizures, psychogenic seizures can be very disruptive to a person's life as they have their own stigma, caused mostly by ignorance. The evaluation and treatment of patients with psychogenic pseudoseizures requires a joint collaborative effort of neurologists and psychiatrists. It is important that people, including medical and psychological professionals, learn about psychogenic seizures, their causes, and treatment. Daily life for someone with pseudoseizures can be improved dramatically if therapists or treating professionals like nurses, and doctors know how to treat the underlying cause effectively. Treatment is most successful when the person is encouraged to explore his/her own feelings and assisted in learning to cope with the feelings in new ways.