I still vividly remember the day my wife collapsed from what looked like a seizure right there in the store. My heart pounded, and panic set in. It was a terrifying experience, not just for her, but for me watching it unfold. For a long time, we were utterly bewildered, searching for answers to what is a seizure and what does seizure mean in the context of what we witnessed. We later learned she was experiencing Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) episodes, often referred to as functional seizures. Understanding functional seizures, or psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES), was a crucial step for us. Unlike epileptic seizures, which are caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain, FND seizures are real, involuntary physical events rooted in a problem with the nervous system's functioning, not its structure. It’s important to know that these are not faked; they are genuine and distressing experiences for the person going through them. When we asked *what do FND seizures look like*, we discovered a range of presentations. They can often involve fluctuating, irregular movements, sometimes appearing as vigorous shaking or stiffening. Unlike typical epileptic seizures where eyes might be open and staring, someone experiencing an FND seizure might have their eyes closed tightly or looking away. We even noticed a specific seizure face during some episodes, expressing distress or confusion. Sometimes, people might experience *shaking in sleep like seizure*, which also falls under the FND umbrella, reflecting how the body can react even during rest. A common question we had was can stress cause seizures or *seizure from stress*? For FND, the answer is often yes. Stress, anxiety, trauma, or even intense emotions like excitement can act as significant triggers for an *fnd flare up*. It's not that stress causes the disorder, but it can certainly precipitate or worsen episodes. We learned that the body's response to psychological distress can manifest as physical symptoms, including these seizure-like events. Similarly, we explored can you get seizures from PTSD and found a strong correlation, as trauma can profoundly impact neurological functioning. This also ties into *psychogenic tremors anxiety symptoms*, where anxiety can directly cause involuntary movements. Recognizing the triggers helped us immensely. We started to understand what can seizures cause in terms of daily life disruptions and emotional toll. After an FND seizure, the experience for my wife was often one of profound exhaustion, confusion, and sometimes headache, but typically without the deep post-ictal sleep seen in some epileptic seizures. Knowing what happens after a seizure in the context of FND helped us prepare and provide the right support. It's a journey of learning, patience, and finding the right care team to manage these complex symptoms. If you're asking why do I have seizures and are getting inconclusive results from standard neurological tests, it's worth exploring FND as a possibility with a specialist.