Happycapy

A Happycapy-style explanation of Psychogenic Non‑Epileptic Seizures (also known as: my brain’s favorite plot twist)

Welcome to the blog post that will be slightly longer, slightly more chaotic, but hopefully helpful for at least one person out there — or for someone who lives with, loves, or simply tries to understand a person battling this condition.
If that happens… then my job is done, and Happycapy approves. 💛

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🧠 So… what is PNES?

PNES stands for psychogenic non‑epileptic seizures, which sounds like something a doctor came up with at 2 AM after too much coffee and not enough sleep.

Here’s the simple version:

Your brain is completely fine.
Your nerves are completely fine.
Your electricity is perfectly normal.
And yet — the brain sometimes goes:
“I’m overwhelmed, goodbye.”

PNES episodes look like epileptic seizures but are not caused by electrical misfires.
They are caused by stress, trauma, burnout, emotional overload, or the brain deciding it has had enough for today.

Basically:
Your brain hits “Ctrl+Alt+Delete” on your body instead of talking about its feelings like a civilized organ.

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⚡ What does a PNES episode look like?

This varies, but common options include:

• shaking like a maraca
• freezing like your Wi-Fi stopped working
• collapsing like a fainting goat
• staring into the void
• dissociating into the shadow realm
• or just shutting down like a phone with 1% battery

Afterwards you often feel tired, confused, annoyed, or emotionally fragile — or all of them at the same time.
It’s a fun mix, 10/10 would not recommend.

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🧩 How is PNES different from epilepsy?

PNES is not:
❌ epilepsy
❌ “faking it”
❌ controllable
❌ intentional
❌ a vibe
❌ a personality trait

PNES is:
✔ a real neurological disorder
✔ caused by stress/emotional overload
✔ physically AND mentally exhausting
✔ valid, serious, and absolutely not your fault

People with PNES often wait years for a proper diagnosis — usually through a video EEG, where doctors confirm that the seizure is real but NOT electrical.

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🌱 What helps?

There’s no magic pill, but many things help a lot, including:

• therapy
• grounding techniques
• stress reduction
• nervous system regulation
• lifestyle changes
• support from loved ones
• and for many people… creativity

Crochet, for example, is amazing because:

🧶 it’s rhythmic
🧶 it’s calming
🧶 it forces your brain to focus on tiny, friendly loops
🧶 it gives you a feeling of accomplishment
🧶 it’s basically meditation with better results

This is one of the big reasons Happycapy was born — crafting can be healing.

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🧶 Why I’m sharing all this

PNES is hard. Physically. Mentally. Emotionally.
It doesn’t come with instructions, a warning label, or a user manual.

And many people — including doctors — don’t understand it well.

If this blog post:
✨ helps ONE person feel less alone,
✨ or helps ONE person understand their loved one better,
✨ or helps ONE crocheter turn their chaos into creativity…

Then every word here was worth writing.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, learn about PNES, and support the mission behind Happycapy.
You’re helping make the world a little kinder, one stitch at a time. 💛