Can PTSD Cause Seizures? What Your Body is Trying to Tell You
Understanding the Connection Between PTSD and Seizures
Can PTSD cause seizures?
The answer depends on what type of seizure you’re experiencing. Trauma can profoundly impact both the mind and body. PTSD can occur after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event with some people also experiencing seizure like symptoms. This is known as PNES, psychogenic nonepileptic seizures, also known as NES, psychogenic nonepileptic seizures. However, PNES or NES, is not the same condition as an epileptic seizure.
Here’s the difference:
Epileptic seizures result from abnormal electrical brain activity. PNES are seizure like episodes, but are not caused by abnormal electrical activity. Instead, PNES is typically triggered by psychological factors like distress, trauma and other nervous system factors. Understanding this core differences is important because it’ll affect treatment protocols.
If you have PTSD and seizures or have been diagnosed with epilepsy but suspect that some of your episodes may be from psychological distress, continue reading this blog to explore the intricate relationship between PTSD and seizures.
Causes of epileptic seizures
Epileptic seizures stem from abnormal electrical activity in the brain, often due to genetics or physical trauma, such as a head injury or a stroke. Other possibilities include structural changes in the brain, stroke, infection or developmental problems.
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder and treatment is dependent on an individuals diagnosis from a doctor. Antiseizure medications (ASMs) are typically used alongside other methods of treatment.
Currently, there are no known cures for this disorder and medication is the main course of treatment. If you have PTSD and seizures, you may also have epileptic seizures, which is why getting diagnosed is paramount.
Causes of Non-epileptic Seizures (NES)
In contrast, non-epileptic seizures (NES) result from psychological or emotional distress. It is important to differentiate betwen epileptic and non-epileptic seizures because the treatment course will be different. Often, people will get misdiagnosed with epilepsy and receive ineffective treatment. Up to 30% of patients initially diagnosed with epilepsy were found to later have non epileptic seizures. This is a disservice because non epileptic seizures do not use anti-seizure medication (ASM) as a form of treatment, unless epilepsy is already present. In that case, it may be recommended by your doctor to continue taking ASM for your epilepsy.
I would urge you to receive a second and or third opinion regarding something as important as your brain health and treatment. If you are unsure of what qualifications to look for in your doctor or professional, refer to this resource: How to choose the right doctor to medicate your mental health
Other names for non epileptic seizures
You may see several different terms when researching PNES:
NES: Non Epileptic Seizures
NEAD: Non Epileptic Attack Disorder
Functional Seizures
Dissociative Seizures
Psychogenic Seizures
PNES: Pychogenic Non Epileptic Seizures
Pseudoseizures
There are many names that refer to non-epileptic seizures. This comprehensive list of names can all be used interchangeably. The only term that is not as widely used anymore is pseudoseizures because of its negative implications. Non epileptic seizures are not fake or self-induced. It is purely a subconscious manifestation because of the high degree of emotional or mental trauma. Think of it like your body's coping mechanism.
Does PTSD Cause Seizures?
PTSD can indeed cause seizures, particularly PNES. These seizures are not due to epilepsy but rather psychological distress. Trauma from PTSD can result in the brain's nervous system misfiring, leading to seizure-like episodes. PTSD-induced seizures, or psychogenic seizures, often manifest in individuals who have experienced significant psychological trauma, such as abuse, serious fights, combat, or sever bullying.
For someone with PTSD, trauma reminders, anxiety dissociation or other triggers may be co-occur with their seizure like episodes.
Here is the pathway of your mind-body communication that can lead to PNES:
Trauma and reminders → nervous-system stress → functional symptoms → seizure-like episodes
Specific triggers and symptoms are different for everyone, which is why working with a doctor is essential to both diagnose and treat PNES. Also, having PTSD does not mean that you will develop PNES. In fact, those who do develop PNES from PTSD is in the minority. Now, if you do have PNES that developed from PTSD, it is your body’s way of releasing and manifesting a severe trauma that may be too hard to face consciously. It is your bodies reaction to an overload of stress that has no other means of coping.
Think of both PTSD and non epileptic seizures as a strategy that your body uses to deal with trauma.
PTSD Seizure Disorder & its Symptoms
People sometimes search for terms like “PTSD seizure disorder” or “PTSD-induced seizures.” There isn't a separate neurological disorder officially diagnosed simply as “PTSD seizure disorder.” Instead, someone with PTSD may experience functional seizures, or PNES, while another person may have epilepsy, and some people can have both epilepsy and PNES.
PTSD seizure disorder can present symptoms similar to epilepsy, such as convulsions and loss of consciousness. However, they are rooted in psychological stress. Common symptoms include:
Convulsion or shaking
Dissociation by change in awareness or responsiveness
Flashbacks with episodes
Hyperventilation
Panic attacks
Memory loss or gaps, including confusion
Emotional distress
During an episode,people often dissasociate and can forget that it happened afterwards, including any recollection of how they were acting. They may often cry and scream in a fit of rage or pain with no memory of it. Forgetting the episode is the brains way of blocking out the traumatic memory and its reminders. Understanding these symptoms is crucial for proper diagnosis and treatment.
How Are PNES and Epileptic Seizures Diagnosed?
This is one of the most important parts of understanding PTSD and seizures. You cannot reliably diagnose PNES simply by looking at someone's symptoms. A person can have movements, loss of responsiveness, shaking, or other symptoms that look like epilepsy while having normal electrical brain activity during the episode.
A video EEG (electroencephalogram) is commonly used when clinicians need to distinguish PNES from epileptic seizures. Recording a typical event on video EEG without corresponding epileptiform electrical activity can provide strong evidence for a PNES diagnosis, when interpreted alongside the person's clinical history and neurological evaluation.
If you're experiencing seizure-like episodes, work with a qualified medical professional to determine what is actually happening and receive a tailored treatment plan.
The Bidirectional Relationship Between PTSD and Seizures
The relationship between PTSD and seizures is bidirectional. While PTSD can lead to seizures, the experience of having seizures can also exacerbate PTSD symptoms. This cycle can create significant distress, making management essential.
If you are experiencing both PTSD and seizures, the best area to start in is understanding your triggers and responses to triggers. Even if you may not remember your seizures or even the source of your trauma, you can still begin to study what physical situations, what emotional state and even what times of day lead to your seizure episodes.
Understanding the complex relationship between PTSD and seizures is essential for proper diagnosis and treatment. PTSD can lead to non-epileptic seizures (NES), which are rooted in psychological distress rather than abnormal brain activity. Recognizing the symptoms of PTSD-induced seizures, such as flashbacks, hyperventilation, and memory loss, helps in identifying and managing this condition. The bidirectional nature of PTSD and seizures means that managing one can alleviate the other. For detailed techniques on managing seizures, read Techniques to Manage Non-Epileptic Seizures Caused by PTSD.
Conclusion
So, can PTSD cause seizures?
PTSD can be associated with psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES), also known as functional seizures, but PNES are not the same thing as epileptic seizures. That distinction is critical.
Epileptic seizures involve abnormal electrical activity in the brain, while PNES resemble epileptic seizures without the characteristic epileptic electrical activity. PNES are real, involuntary experiences and are often associated with psychological distress, trauma, or other functional neurological mechanisms.
If you are experiencing seizures, don't assume that PTSD is the cause; get evaluated.
Understand what type of episodes you are having by learning your patterns. And if your diagnosis doesn't seem to explain what you're experiencing, ask questions and consider seeking a specialist or a second opinion.
About the Author:
COACH DEE | Certified Strength Coach, CSCS, ACE—CPT
Deborah Park, known as Coach Dee, is the owner of Drip Training LLC and an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and Health Coach. With a background in architecture and kinesiology from the University of Virginia, she has extensive experience in personal training and athletic coaching in a clinical (physical therapy) setting. Coach Dee combines her scientific knowledge with years of hands-on experience and generational knowledge of food as medicine to create programs that empower clients to regain control over their bodies and minds.
Her journey into personal training was deeply influenced by her personal struggles, including recovering from a life-changing car accident that led to PTSD and pain from scoliosis. This experience gave her a unique understanding of the connection between mental health and physical well-being. Coach Dee is committed to helping clients develop resilience, build strength, and rediscover their confidence—no matter the challenges they face.
