Explain, Don’t Excuse: Winning the Battle with Conversion Disorder

Got a chronic illness? Welcome to the club. I’ve got one too. A lot of people are dealing with illnesses like Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), Conversion Disorder, and Psychogenic Non Epileptic Seizures (PNES). And over time, I’ve noticed something. There are two types of people.

chronic illness

Type 1: Excuse-Makers Never Recover

When it comes to battling FND or Conversion Disorder, I've had the distinct displeasure of meeting the first type—the excuse-makers. And that's the type that never gets better. This type resigns themselves to the diagnosis and chooses to suffer for life.

They believe they won't get better. And so they don't. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. They give up their hope. And what's worse? They try to take it away from others, too.

But here’s what really breaks my heart. Like crabs in a boiling pot, when they see someone clawing their way out, they grab at them, trying to drag them back down. If they’ve lost hope, they want everyone else to lose it too.

They turn their diagnosis into a death sentence. Game over. They choose to be miserable and stuck - forever. Even if some compassionate soul tries to show them the way out... tries to help them... they will start ranting and raving, determined to stay stuck in their mess.

Instead of their illness being a challenge to explain and overcome, they begin to use it as an excuse to avoid trying to get well. Some people won't accept hope even when it's shoved in their faces.

If at first you don't succeed, try try again

Type 2: Explainers Might Beat Conversion Disorder

But the second type of person? That’s my kind of human.

They face reality. They explain their condition with clarity. But they don’t make excuses. They don’t let the diagnosis define the end of their story. Perhaps you, like me, identify with this type of human. So let me talk directly to you.

It's one thing to look around and acknowledge your situation. Accept your limits, and take breaks when you need to. Don't overtax your fragile system. That's wisdom.

But it’s another thing entirely to give up—to stop fighting and use your diagnosis as an excuse. No one’s guaranteed a fair shake in this life. Just death and taxes, remember?

So you might have to claw your way out of the boiling inferno one millimeter at a time. You might gain two, lose one. But you're still moving. You're still reclaiming your life, albeit at a snail's pace.

But you are still making progress, and that is what matters. You are still TYING because you haven't given up hope.

Yes it may be important to explain to yourself and others why your progress is so slow and your limits are so small. But explanations aren't the same as excuses. You can't use your diagnosis as an excuse to give up.

Progress might be slow, and you might face setbacks. But you are TRYING. You never stop trying.

And it is all going to pay off. At least it did for me. I never gave up my hope. I had to believe in a better tomorrow. My future didn't belong in the boiling pot with the other FND sufferers who had given up. I saw a way out, and I took it.

My progress was slow. I cried - hard. I even had people in the FND community try to knock me back down. I've been cursed out an disrespected for sharing my story.

But I never gave up. And that's what I want you to take from this.

I healed 95% from my own chronic condition, and I am still making steady, slow gains. This only happened because I never gave up hope. And I didn't let those who gave up on themselves dictate my path.

So explain your condition, but never make excuses.

Don't ever give up!

So if you’re still trying, still clawing—welcome to the real club. The club of fighters. The club of explainers. And we don’t quit.