Dr Sermed Mezher, a UK-based General Practitioner, best known for his educational medical content on social media shared a video on his Instagram of a seizure that could leave you dancing. "Wakeful seizures like that are more common than you think," he says. "But how are they different to the dancing plague?"He explains that dancing plague happened around 1518, when a woman named Frau Toffer started dancing uncontrollable on the streets and then eventually hundreds also joined her. They danced for days, and some of them actually died of exhaustion. There are multiple theories to it, including ergot poisoning. However, he says, "We need to remember that this population was riddled with starvation and diseases. They had seen multiple outbreaks of the black plague, so the most likely diagnoses is stress-induced mass hysteria or a type of stress-induced psychosis."However, he notes that the video he is referring to is different. "What this person in the first video was experiencing were temporary abnormal movements while conscious, that might be classed as a non-epileptic seizure."What Is A Non-Epileptic Seizure?It is also known as functional seizures, which are episodes that look and feel like seizures caused by epilepsy However, they are not caused by abnormal electrical activity in your brain, but are a physical reaction of your nervous system to:Physical triggers like injury or painStressors in your environmentPast traumatic eventWhile the dramatic dancing may seem like you are "faking" it, but the seizures are real and the person who is experiencing do not have any voluntary control over these episodes. What A Non-Epileptic Seizure May Look Like? View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sermed Mezher (@drsermedmezher)]]>The common symptoms of non epileptic seizure are:Loss of consciousnessSeizures over 10 minutes longRetained awarenessOut of phase limb movementsPelvic thrustingChanging patterns of movementRapid side to side head movementsEyes closed unresponsivenessThis can also affect your emotional state, including your anxiety, depression and even your panic attacks. What Might Cause Non Epileptic Seizure?These are caused by a mix of stress that affects your body, mind, and relationships. This is known as the biopsychosocial model. Other things that may contribute include:Difficulty understanding and expressing emotionsTrouble processing information from your senses to turn it into movementUnhelpful response to stressorsFurthermore there could be underlying mental health conditions that could trigger these seizures. The conditions include:Mood disorderPersonality disorder Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)Anxiety disorders with panic attacksDepressive disorderDissociative disorderSomatic symptom disorderSubstance use disorderPeople who undergo these seizures may be more at risk of experiencing physical, sexual or emotional abuse or neglect, especially in their early years. They may have lived through a difficult or traumatic event, and may have or develop a chronic condition like chronic pain or fibromyalgia.
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