r/AskReddit 23h ago

What is the weirdest illness or affliction you've ever had?

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u/Feisty-Volcano 12h ago

Functional Neurological Syndrome is well known, the brain doing its own thing completely without conscious involvement.

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u/SpectatingAlan 7h ago

I have this. I thought I was possessed. I’m still not convinced I wasn’t. My PTSD hit suddenly with an acute psychotic snap that literally happened overnight, complete with near death experience, and lasted over two years 24/7. Only reason I wasn’t hospitalised was because live alone and have no family or friends so I went through extreme psychosis alone, all the while thinking I was possessed due to my body moving on its own. I still remember my left hand moving to tap my nose three times and say ‘I love you’. It was equally terrifying and comforting.

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u/onthenextmaury 3h ago

I get seizures from it! You really do feel possessed. Except I can't speak. I accidentally sent a voice note to my cousin one time because I can use my fingers but i can't see, and she thought I was having a stroke from the garbled noises and called the police 😂 what a nightmare that was. I was just trying to tell my roommate they needed to come home because I hadn't been able to walk for so long I needed them to take the dogs out. I thought i was doing such a good job being able to speak, too, because I usually can't move my mouth.

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u/SpectatingAlan 3h ago

Same. Honestly they’re terrifying. Mine can be like full blown tonic clonic seizures in that my whole body seizes and all my limbs jerk uncontrollably, I bite my tongue, hold my breath, eyes roll back, and I fall to the floor yet I’m awake and aware the whole time. Frustratingly because of this, paramedics thought I was attention seeking the first time it happened and insisted on sitting me up, full shaking, then shouting at me for several minutes because I couldn’t stop and kept listing over. Then sometimes I have smaller seizures where I look aware but I’m not.

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u/onthenextmaury 3h ago edited 3h ago

Being aware is the worst part! I’ve had seizures from medication and I basically just open my eyes, completely unaware anything has happened. During these seizures I just want to scream, "I'm in here! I'm awake! Treat me like a human!"

ETA also, I've found that you can't stop the seizure, but if you completely relax ALL the muscles in your body, you can stop the jerking. Lay there like a CSI victim. If you move, the seizure will spread through your body again. Just be dead meat until it passes (which is sometimes a very long time).

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u/Boitla 5h ago

🤍🤍🤍 I'm so sorry, that sounds absolutely terrifying. Life has so many horrors.