Why Functional Neurological Disorder Is So Often Misunderstood | Yale Neurologist
Dr. Lee's Teen FND Academy™
4,469 views
How I've helped 100+ families recover from Functional Neurological Disorder (FND):
https://www.teenfndacademy.com/tfa-yt
Download my free FND Family Guide:
📋 https://www.teenfndacademy.com/guide-yt
——
By the time most families arrive at a specialist's office, they have already seen dozens of doctors, received no real answers, and built up what Dr. Dario Zagar calls medical trauma. In this conversation, Dr. Jin Lee sits down with a Yale University neurologist and founding member of the Functional Neurological Disorder Society who has spent over 20 years helping families finally understand what is happening in their brain and body — because he lived it himself first.
Dr. Zagar and Dr. Jin break down why FND is the most stigmatized condition in neurology, why the whack-a-mole approach to treatment keeps people stuck, **what it actually means for FND to be a neuroplastic symptom rather than a structural one**, and how to understand the diagnosis process from a neurologist who gives the explanation most families never receive in that appointment.
——
🧠 You'll Learn:
✓ Why treating FND symptoms separately keeps families on a merry-go-round that never ends
✓ What neuroplastic symptoms are and why FND, chronic pain, POTS, and EDS often share the same root
✓ Why FND is the most stigmatized neurological condition — and why that comes from lack of knowledge not lack of caring
✓ How a Yale neurologist defines recovery — and why it is not symptom elimination
✓ The two ingredients Dr. Zagar says are essential for recovery: empowerment and self-awareness
✓ How FND is actually diagnosed — positive signs not just absence of findings
✓ Why 40% of general neurology patients likely have a neuroplastic symptom and most never know it
——
💬 Learn how families are helping their teens recover from FND → https://bit.ly/4ckyVSw
——
🔔 Subscribe for more videos on Functional Neurological Disorder recovery.
👍 Like, comment, and share this to spread awareness and hope.
——
ABOUT DR. JINSOON LEE
Dr. Jinsoon Lee is the founder of Teen FND Academy and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. A recognized leader in her field, she is the former President of the Colorado Psychological Association and has published extensive peer-reviewed publications on psychological health.
On this channel and within the Academy, Dr. Lee provides educational coaching and mentorship in a non-clinical capacity to help families understand and navigate the "Stuck Cycle" of FND.
⸻
PROFESSIONAL BOUNDARY: This content is provided for educational purposes only and in a non-clinical capacity. While Dr. Lee is a licensed professional, this channel and its programs do not constitute a therapist-client relationship, medical advice, or clinical treatment.
Always consult your licensed healthcare provider for diagnosis or treatment related to any medical or mental health condition.
——
00:00 Doctor 700 — Why Most FND Families Arrive Exhausted and Mistrusting
02:46 Who Is Dr. Dario Zagar and How Personal Experience Led Him to FND
07:55 Why the Whack-a-Mole Treatment Approach Keeps Families Stuck
12:43 What Neuroplastic Symptoms Are and Why FND Is Not a Separate Problem
18:08 How a Yale Neurologist Defines FND Recovery — And Why It Is Not Symptom Elimination
21:39 The Two Ingredients Every FND Recovery Needs — Empowerment and Self-Awareness
29:46 What Incidental MRI Findings and the EDS Crossover Actually Mean for FND
36:36 How FND Is Actually Diagnosed — The Clinical Process Explained
42:01 What Needs to Change in Medical Education About FND
44:27 Dr. Zagar's Upcoming Book and the Growing Mind-Body Movement
47:39 Final Words for FND Families From a Yale Neurologist
——
#FND #FunctionalNeurologicalDisorder #TeenFND #FNDRecovery #YaleNeurologist #BrainRetraining #Neuroplasticity #NervousSystemRegulation #ChronicIllnessTeen #MindBodyMedicine
——
The information provided by Dr. Jin Lee and Teen FND Academy is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider regarding any questions or concerns you may have about a medical condition.
12 Comments
It’s a very important point that recovery doesn’t have to look perfect and that I do need to listen to my body’s and nerves system’s limits in a way I didn’t before. I would be interested in your thoughts on how FND and neurodivergence can come together, I’m adhd. I’ve also seen it said the HEDs is more common in neurodivergent people, it makes me wonder if there is more sensitivity to neuroplastic conditions in that population.
Why Functional Neurological Disorder Is So Often Misunderstood | Yale Neurologist
Dr. Lee's Teen FND Academy™
4,469 views
How I've helped 100+ families recover from Functional Neurological Disorder (FND):
https://www.teenfndacademy.com/tfa-yt
Download my free FND Family Guide:
📋 https://www.teenfndacademy.com/guide-yt
——
By the time most families arrive at a specialist's office, they have already seen dozens of doctors, received no real answers, and built up what Dr. Dario Zagar calls medical trauma. In this conversation, Dr. Jin Lee sits down with a Yale University neurologist and founding member of the Functional Neurological Disorder Society who has spent over 20 years helping families finally understand what is happening in their brain and body — because he lived it himself first.
Dr. Zagar and Dr. Jin break down why FND is the most stigmatized condition in neurology, why the whack-a-mole approach to treatment keeps people stuck, **what it actually means for FND to be a neuroplastic symptom rather than a structural one**, and how to understand the diagnosis process from a neurologist who gives the explanation most families never receive in that appointment.
——
🧠 You'll Learn:
✓ Why treating FND symptoms separately keeps families on a merry-go-round that never ends
✓ What neuroplastic symptoms are and why FND, chronic pain, POTS, and EDS often share the same root
✓ Why FND is the most stigmatized neurological condition — and why that comes from lack of knowledge not lack of caring
✓ How a Yale neurologist defines recovery — and why it is not symptom elimination
✓ The two ingredients Dr. Zagar says are essential for recovery: empowerment and self-awareness
✓ How FND is actually diagnosed — positive signs not just absence of findings
✓ Why 40% of general neurology patients likely have a neuroplastic symptom and most never know it
——
💬 Learn how families are helping their teens recover from FND → https://bit.ly/4ckyVSw
——
🔔 Subscribe for more videos on Functional Neurological Disorder recovery.
👍 Like, comment, and share this to spread awareness and hope.
——
ABOUT DR. JINSOON LEE
Dr. Jinsoon Lee is the founder of Teen FND Academy and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. A recognized leader in her field, she is the former President of the Colorado Psychological Association and has published extensive peer-reviewed publications on psychological health.
On this channel and within the Academy, Dr. Lee provides educational coaching and mentorship in a non-clinical capacity to help families understand and navigate the "Stuck Cycle" of FND.
⸻
PROFESSIONAL BOUNDARY: This content is provided for educational purposes only and in a non-clinical capacity. While Dr. Lee is a licensed professional, this channel and its programs do not constitute a therapist-client relationship, medical advice, or clinical treatment.
Always consult your licensed healthcare provider for diagnosis or treatment related to any medical or mental health condition.
——
00:00 Doctor 700 — Why Most FND Families Arrive Exhausted and Mistrusting
02:46 Who Is Dr. Dario Zagar and How Personal Experience Led Him to FND
07:55 Why the Whack-a-Mole Treatment Approach Keeps Families Stuck
12:43 What Neuroplastic Symptoms Are and Why FND Is Not a Separate Problem
18:08 How a Yale Neurologist Defines FND Recovery — And Why It Is Not Symptom Elimination
21:39 The Two Ingredients Every FND Recovery Needs — Empowerment and Self-Awareness
29:46 What Incidental MRI Findings and the EDS Crossover Actually Mean for FND
36:36 How FND Is Actually Diagnosed — The Clinical Process Explained
42:01 What Needs to Change in Medical Education About FND
44:27 Dr. Zagar's Upcoming Book and the Growing Mind-Body Movement
47:39 Final Words for FND Families From a Yale Neurologist
——
#FND #FunctionalNeurologicalDisorder #TeenFND #FNDRecovery #YaleNeurologist #BrainRetraining #Neuroplasticity #NervousSystemRegulation #ChronicIllnessTeen #MindBodyMedicine
——
The information provided by Dr. Jin Lee and Teen FND Academy is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider regarding any questions or concerns you may have about a medical condition.
https://www.teenfndacademy.com/tfa-yt
Download my free FND Family Guide:
📋 https://www.teenfndacademy.com/guide-yt