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how long will i have conversion disorder? and how long will i continue to have symptoms

By July 10, 2010 - 2:07pm
 
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for 2 weeks to i had slight memory loss, words didn't want to form right, would become very lightheaded, but never fainted, and just had a shakey feeling on the inside. then i went to work and my hands began to shake. by the time i got to doctor, my entire body was shaking. later in the day i looked as if i had parkinson's disease. i could not stop. was given valium in the er and continued to shake. er doctor told me i was having a dystonic reaction to zyrtec and sent me home. i continued to shake for 2 more days and went to different er. neurologist there diagnosied me with conversion disorder. it has been 2 weeks, and the shaking continues. it will slow down when i am home, but if i go anywhere i begin to shake uncontrollably and have to go home again. i have an appt with therapist but not until the end of the month. my doctor has put me on clonazepam, but i don't like to take it because it just zombifies me and doesn't take care of shaking. please help. i have lost 7lbs because of this and my muscles hurt.

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OMG, i have this problem too!
I state shaking, stuttering, become catatonic, paralyzed, and have had pseudo seizures since 2002. the symptoms just kept getting worse with the stuttering, catatonia and tics have been recent since my last failed suicide.

I've had MRI's, EEG's, sleep studies and more. I wake up form nightmares shaking so badly my body leaps off the bed.

I am diagnosed as having conversion & dissociative disorder, major depression/anxiaty, C-PTSD, somatoform and more.

I decided last year I would rather kill myself then live another day like this - its been 10 years now. I am very tired and can't get any services to help me. I finally got disability, but I can't live off of what they give me, DOE is garnishing the little they do give me, I am allergic to most anti-depressants (Medi-Cal won't fill my prescription for Cymbalta). I've gone with no meds or therapy for over 6 mths sonce returning to LA because I had to reapply for medicaid in SoCal. and I have no familiar support. I have an 8yo son, which is the only reason I am not dead.

The state of California won't pay for trauma therapy, which is the only way I have any chance of getting better. NYS does pay for this kind of therapy, but I had to leave because I couldn't continue to be away form my son, I had no money and place to live in NY beyond a year.

I made another suicide attempt in NY on Nov 6, 2013, because I realized it was useless. I was broke, because SoCal temp disability would go up to 3 mths without paying me, so I had no money to live (for food or meds) homeless; I was denied Medicaid the first time, because I had gotten too much money from unemployment the year before. I had to reapply after the new year, meanwhile I was getting very sick, so much worse due to the extreme stress I was under in NYC with no support.

I already know I will likely kill myself in the next few years if it doesn't get better, I am in physical pain and emotional anguish all the time. But the hardest thing is that I can no longer control or predict the conversion episodes. It starts with an overwhelming emotion I can't contain, I start crying hysterically and when I am finally exhausted I become completely checked out. I can't talk, walk, move, - it's very scary and I have to fight coming back to reality and to be present in my body.

October 2, 2014 - 2:25am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous (reply to mspirit)

I am so sorry to hear that you have had so little help with such a difficult condition. My husband has this too. We live in the UK and there is little understanding of conversion disorder here.
My husband was properly diagnosed 6 Years ago. None of the treatments they have given him have worked yet. However very very old First world war film footage of ordinary soldiers suffering from what was originally misnamed shell shock looks spookily similar to how my husband is when he is ill. We both think that the PTSD link is very evident. We are working on it. It sounds to me that you are a fighter too like my husband. We wish you well and hope that things get better for you.

March 13, 2017 - 11:24pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

OMG, i have this problem too!
I state shaking, stuttering, become catatonic, paralyzed, and have had pseudo seizures since 2002. the symptoms just kept getting worse with the stuttering, catatonia and tics have been recent since my last failed suicide.

I've had MRI's, EEG's, sleep studies and more. I wake up form nightmares shaking so badly my body leaps off the bed.

I am diagnosed as having conversion & dissociative disorder, major depression/anxiaty, C-PTSD, somatoform and more.

I decided last year I would rather kill myself then live another day like this - its been 10 years now. I am very tired and can't get any services to help me. I finally got disability, but I can't live off of what they give me, DOE is garnishing the little they do give me, I am allergic to most anti-depressants (Medi-Cal won't fill my prescription for Cymbalta). I've gone with no meds or therapy for over 6 mths sonce returning to LA because I had to reapply for medicaid in SoCal. and I have no familiar support. I have an 8yo son, which is the only reason I am not dead.

The state of California won't pay for trauma therapy, which is the only way I have any chance of getting better. NYS does pay for this kind of therapy, but I had to leave because I couldn't continue to be away form my son, I had no money and place to live in NY beyond a year.

I made another suicide attempt in NY on Nov 6, 2013, because I realized it was useless. I was broke, because SoCal temp disability would go up to 3 mths without paying me, so I had no money to live (for food or meds) homeless; I was denied Medicaid the first time, because I had gotten too much money from unemployment the year before. I had to reapply after the new year, meanwhile I was getting very sick, so much worse due to the extreme stress I was under in NYC with no support.

I already know I will likely kill myself in the next few years if it doesn't get better, I am in physical pain and emotional anguish all the time. But the hardest thing is that I can no longer control or predict the conversion episodes. It starts with an overwhelming emotion I can't contain, I start crying hysterically and when I am finally exhausted I become completely checked out. I can't talk, walk, move, - it's very scary and I have to fight coming back to reality and to be present in my body.

October 2, 2014 - 2:03am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

I have had this for 2 years and there is no help. either doctors have never heard of it, or they pass you off to another because they don't kniw what to do, or think you're faking it. Even the most recent article here for mental health awareness month talks about how somatic disorders are people who want attention and fake symptoms to get it. There's nothing really wrong with them. Neurologists send me to Psychiatrists who want to give me psych meds I don't need. Psychologists send me to Neurologists. Been to Neuropsychologists. Trying a Neurophysiologist. Such bad tremors, seizures and ataxia I've dislocated my knee. But I'm doing it to myself because I want attention right? I have no control and am tired of "living" like this

May 16, 2014 - 1:26pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

Hello,

I've just heard yesterday I might have cd and I'm reading up on it a lot. Te symptoms seem to fit except one big thing; I'm not stressed a lot and didn't have anything traumatic happening.
I've had similar attacks 4 years ago when I couldn't wake up and if looked like epileptic attacks but the test came up negative. Now I keep having attacks where I pass out but still hear everything. Usually after that I can't move my legs and feet. Due to my autism and depression I ended up in a psych ward of a hospital. They're also the cause that I can't handle a lot of stress so I'm used to not doing many stressful things. Just as my life started to get better this happened.
In the hospital they refused to get me and MRI or EEG.
I'll be honest, I'm really scared. When I'm outside the house I'm basically boy to a wheelchair because my legs are weak most of the time. If I can walk it is slowly. I've had these problems for almost a week now but it seems like ages.

Astrid

June 5, 2013 - 2:48pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

hello,
i have been suffering from conversion disorder since 2 months.i go crazy when i get these attacks.i start shaking,shouting at the top of my voice,i start stammering,start crying and i have also made an attempt to suicide.i am consulting a psychologist and a psychiatrist but i cannot see any improvement in my condition.i am just 17 and i am practically done with it.it is very horrifying and nobody is able to actually understand my situation.can i get some help.its my 12th and i have ruined all my boards just coz of this disorder.

March 20, 2013 - 3:03am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous (reply to Anonymous)

I just want to say to you to hold on. I've been going through this since 22 I'm now 34. I have a good life, strong faith, job i love, but when i experience it i want to die, I'd prefer to die. I am just today reaching an understanding of why which is what brought me to this site while doing research. You may have many years of suffering ahead, that is the truth, but if you find a medication you respond to, stick with it while you talk to a therapist. I'm sorry that you are suffering and if I have learned anything, I'd be happy to share it with you.im anonymous but will get notice of any response. I feel for you.

March 24, 2013 - 11:28am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

Hello,

I am just interested in this as I went to she a neuropsychologist because lately I have days when I forget even the simplest of things, like answering the phone, opening the door, remembering a conversation I am having because I sometimes experience difficulty getting words out of my mouth. I am also incontinent especially on days when my pain is out of control and due to IBS. I am 54, I had been diagnosed with RA when I was 8, then again with RA and IBS at 20 and just recently after a fall and a viral infection of B19. The RA is full blown and has caused physical disability. I have lab and x ray result that lean towards the diagnosis of RA. The psychic doc says it somatoform and/or conversion disorder. I have had the same physician for the last 10 years and have been send to 3 specialists. Heart because AF started, respiratory because breathing difficulty especially when painful episodes take hole in my ribs and sternum. and now to a RA specialist. Yes, I have had my share of trauma. But I am over 50 not under 30. I don't have multiple complaints that can't be explained from a diagnosis. He was to give an opinion as to whether the RA advanced enough to cause the memory issues, in the office he told me the R was the cause for it, why would his report states otherwise and now I appear incredible? Could this be a true diagnosis and of what, RA has been established. Thankfully, I haven't lost weight yet and doctors listened to me when I was a kid and young adult and treated me accordingly, I was 8 and lost weight to 50 lbs then I was twenty and lost weight to 92 lbs.
Any advise would be appreciated,
Maria

November 27, 2012 - 9:31pm
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

Hi Anonymous,
Stress can lead to many different medical issues. Your stress levels may be a leading roll in what is happening with you but have you ever thought about maybe getting a second opinion? From your initial statement, it appears that you went to the ER and was sent home with one diagnosis, went back and now they diagnose conversion disorder?

Is there possibly of getting another opinion (specialist) that you can see? Do you remember when the shaking started? What happened that day?

July 11, 2010 - 10:14am
EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous (reply to Anonymous)

they shakey feeling on the inside has been there for awhile. don't remember when that started. but the visible shaking started 2 weeks ago. went to work and felt overwhelmed with the amount of work and my hands started to shake, progressed to my entire body.
i have actually been to 4 doctors. 1 didn't know and sent me to er. er doctor said it was reaction to zyrtec which i haven't taken in since or on that day either. a neurologist diagnosied me with conversion disorder, and another doctor agreed with neurologist.
lab work and ct scan all came back normal.

July 11, 2010 - 11:44am
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