Conversion disorder is often neglected as a diagnosis, at times due to the controversy of this condition. While people with conversion disorder are truly experiencing paralysis or seizures, many are believed to be faking it due to inconsistencies in the way the symptoms manifest. For example, a person with paralysis episodes may lose control of the left side of their body in one episode, and the right side of their body in another. Seizures will not appear as expected on neurological scans, which causes doctors to question whether or not the person is truly seizing.

Conversion disorder can also be difficult to diagnose, as it might require unpacking the individual’s history of trauma to discover the cause. There are also a lot of protocols for doctors to diagnose conversion disorder, including particular terminology and attitude toward the disease. Previous terminology regarding non-epileptic seizures would deem them “pseudo-seizures,” which tended to imply that they were not real or of the same magnitude. Additionally, it’s important for doctors to recognize that patients may not be receptive to therapy or other mental health treatment options, as they have been repressing trauma and emotions over the course of their lives.