Originally posted by truthinfact
Stop giving them attention, ITS ALL IN THEIR HEADS. Not real. edit on 29-1-2012 by truthinfact because: (no reason given)
Really as soon as everyone stops paying attention is when their "disease" will go way.edit on 29-1-2012 by truthinfact because: (no reason
given)
While I don't know what these girls are going through specifically, if it even is conversion disorder, I do know that it isn't something that just
goes away with removal of attention. I know this personally.
My daughter was in the Navy until recently. It was what she had wanted for her entire life and she worked her tail off to get there and be at the top
of her class. A year ago I got an emergency call to Chicago to see my daughter in the hospital where she was having uncontrolled seizures. When I got
there, they had ruled out epilepsy and other disorders and diagnosed her with Conversion Disorder. Imagine how I felt walking into the hospital room,
seeing her intubated and in a medically induced coma (to prevent the seizures, which didn't actually work.), and seeing electrodes attached all over
her head. She couldn't speak or write after she came out of it, and it took hours to regain that.
She was able to manage her condition enough to get through training and get stationed with her ship. A month ago, she was honorably medically
discharged. She is still having seizures when her stress levels get too high. They still don't know exactly what has caused this problem, or why it
hasn't been corrected even though she has had the traditional treatments for it, via the VA. They tell her if she can get it under control and stop
having seizures, with a doctor's clearance, she can join again. She even got promoted while she was going through this and left as a Petty Officer.
She isn't doing this to get attention. The thing she wants most in the world is to have it stop so she can re-enlist. She can't drive. She moved from
her duty station to be with her husband's parents (he is in the Navy and is preparing for deployment.). She had to drive across country to get there
and wound up in a hospital in Nevada. She pulled off the road and called 911 for herself because she felt seizures coming on. They wanted to keep her
there but she just wanted to get to her new home, so the Red Cross got her husband there to get her home.
She is hoping that now that she is out of the Navy she can get some medical help that is non VA, so maybe she can finally find out what happened, why
it is still happening, and how it can be fixed. Now, when they happen, she has people call me. For some reason my voice soothes her and it helps to
bring her around. She hallucinates while it is happening, doesn't know anyone or anything, even herself. Her husband and I can talk to her while it is
going on and it helps to calm her. No one knows why.
This is not the effect of my child malingering, (medical proof of that), and it is not what she wants. She loves attention, don't get me wrong, but
not this kind. She is loving, gentle, and wants to save people. She wants more than anything to serve her country in the military (no, it is not a
family tradition either, just something she wants.)
She doesn't want this. She wants a normal life, and to lead it independently. She can't do that right now.
Sorry to be so long, but that comment really just set me on edge. I can't say it is the same thing with these kids, but generalizations like that
upset me.
edit on 30-1-2012 by Ceriddwen because: (no reason given)