FND Emergency Cards for Calm, Safer Care

A sudden episode is not the moment most people want to explain Functional Neurological Disorder from the beginning. That is why we make emergency cards. They are small, already written, and designed to be read by a stranger, a colleague or a first responder while you cannot speak for yourself.

You do not need to design one from scratch unless none of our four versions fit. The cards in our shop already say the things people need in that moment: what is happening, how to keep you safe, when medical help is not usually needed, and when they should call 999.

Why a card helps

For many people with FND, the value is not only medical. It is the relief of knowing that a partner, colleague, teacher, shop worker or first responder has something clear to read. You are not making this up, and you should not have to prove your diagnosis while you are unwell.

Functional seizures can be mistaken for epilepsy, intoxication or deliberate behaviour. Tremors can be read as drunkenness or anxiety. Speech loss can look like rudeness. Vocal tics can sound alarming or offensive even when they are involuntary. A card does not fix those wider problems. It gives you a prepared voice when your own voice is unavailable.

The four FND Connect cards

Each card is standard credit-card size, double-sided, and comes with a lanyard so it can be worn or kept in a wallet. The reverse includes space for your name and emergency contact. Choose the version that matches the episode other people are most likely to see.

I Have Seizures

£4.99 · seizure first aid, when to call 999, and space for medical notes.

Get the seizures card

I May Have Tremors

£4.99 · stay calm, give time, do not restrain, and when to get help.

Get the tremors card

I May Struggle to Speak

£4.99 · not drunk, not rude — give time, yes/no questions, offer a pen or phone.

Get the speech card

I Have Vocal Tics

£4.99 · involuntary sounds, not intentional, please do not record or mock.

Get the vocal tics card

Reassurance and a safety check, on the same card

It can be tempting to write “this is only FND” and leave it there. Please do not. Familiar symptoms can be part of your FND, but new or different symptoms still need proper medical assessment. Emergency staff must make their own clinical decisions. A card supports that process. It does not replace it.

That is why our seizures card, for example, says medical help is not usually needed unless you are injured, the seizure lasts longer than five minutes, another starts before you recover, you are having trouble breathing, it happens in water, or someone is concerned for your safety. The same idea sits on the tremors, speech and vocal tics cards: calm first aid first, 999 when the situation is not your usual pattern.

If you are unsure whether symptoms are familiar or safe to manage, seek urgent medical advice. Calling 999 is appropriate where there is an immediate threat to life or serious harm. It is always better for supporters to act cautiously than to feel they have been told not to get help. Our flare or medical emergency guide sets that boundary out in more detail.

Make the card work in real life

A card only helps if people can find it. Wear the lanyard when you are out, or keep the card in the place most likely to be with you: a purse, wallet, phone case or the outside pocket of a bag. A physical card is easier to access when a phone is locked, flat or misplaced. A medical ID feature on your phone can sit alongside it, not instead of it.

Give a copy of the wording to the people most likely to support you — a partner, friend, parent, colleague or line manager — and have the quiet conversation before an episode happens. At work or in education, the card should sit next to a wider support plan, not replace one.

Fill in the name and emergency contact on the reverse. Keep sensitive details to a minimum: anyone who picks the card up can read it. Review it if your episode pattern, medication or contacts change.

If none of the four cards fit

If your usual episode is something our range does not cover, you can still write a short card of your own. Keep it specific enough to guide someone and brief enough to read under pressure. Include your name, that you have FND, the symptoms that actually apply to you, what helps, an emergency contact, and a line that new, different or injuring episodes need urgent medical help.

If you have been given individual advice by a neurologist, GP, specialist nurse or therapist, use that advice. Some people have co-existing epilepsy, diabetes, heart conditions or other health needs that must be reflected accurately. A homemade card is a fallback. For seizures, tremors, speech loss or vocal tics, start with the ones we already print.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and further reading

• FND Connect lanyard and emergency cards in the shop
• Functional seizures: a practical UK guide
• Speech changes during FND episodes
• FND flare or medical emergency?
• Functional seizures hub