What Vero's story can tell you about recovering

Many ambulance trips are for people with functional symptoms - early diagnosis could help reduce this.

My patient, Vero, asked if I would share her story with you and she wants everyone to know that, with the right support and skills, it is possible to recover from even serious functional symptoms.

When I first met Vero, she was caring for her dying husband and I was struck by her tenderness and devotion. However, after his death, Vero developed serious health problems. Her grief was complicated by repeated trips to hospital after she would collapse and remain unrousable. This led to her having repeated CT scans of her brain while unconscious, as well as other tests of her heart and so on. But as nothing was ever found and Vero eventually would come around, she would be discharged without any treatment.

As these collapses continued over months, Vero and I sought to explore what could be contributing to her turns. Eventually, she was able to reveal that the tragic loss of her husband was not the first calamity in her life. You will read in my book more about her early life and how she eventually was restored to health, but I want you to know that Vero's commitment to her path to recovery and the willingness to learn skills such as recognising the signs of her impending collapses, trauma-informed therapy and the embracing of a balanced, active and socially engaged lifestyle led to the resolution of her collapses and a return to her normal life.

As you will read in my book, there are as many symptom experiences as there are people. And the path to recovery is just as varied. For some like Vero, months of dedicated effort are needed, but others simply need a good explanation of what a functional condition is to find a way to recover. It is helpful to have patience, commitment, experimentation and good support. But most important is the belief that a path to restoring your health awaits you.