On this page
How it can feel
- Heart racing, breath tight, dread without a clear “reason”.
- Scanning the body for the next episode.
- Catastrophic “what ifs” at 3am.
- Avoiding places where symptoms happened before.
Day to day
- World shrinks to safe zones.
- Appointments spike anxiety, then symptoms spike too.
- Carers absorb secondary worry.
How this can relate to FND
An unpredictable body trains the threat system. Anxiety is often a consequence and an amplifier — not proof that symptoms were invented.
What can help
- Validation first: symptoms are real.
- Therapy approaches for panic, health anxiety or trauma where relevant.
- Breathing and grounding skills used as tools, not as dismissal.
- Practical safety plans that reduce uncertainty.
This is information, not a treatment plan. Personal care decisions belong with you and your clinicians.
FAQs
If therapy helps, does that mean it was anxiety all along?
No. Therapy can reduce secondary load and improve coping while FND remains a neurological condition.
About this guide & further reading
Written and published by FND Connect. This is general information for people living with FND and those supporting them. It does not diagnose a symptom or replace advice from your clinician.
- Neurosymptoms: Worry and panic
- North Bristol NHS Trust: functional neurological symptoms
- Neurosymptoms: when new or different symptoms need reassessment
External resources provide further reading; their inclusion does not mean their authors have reviewed or endorsed this FND Connect guide. Page updated 3 October 2026.
Take this to your next conversation
Note what happens, how it affects your day and what you want to ask. An appointment pack can help you organise that conversation.