I think the bigger issue with that statement is it reinforces the idea that mental issues are somehow meaningfully different than physical ones, and it's vindicating to identify a physical issue when a mental one was expected. IMO mental issues are pretty much just physical issues that we don't have even the slightest understanding of yet.
Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) are one of the more fascinating examples of this, because there is a direct parallel to epileptic seizures. Aside from the fact it's not uncommon for people with epilepsy to be initially misdiagnosed as PNES (and vice versa), it's interesting what a stigma there is against PNES. The seizure-like behavior those patients display is completely beyond their control, yet it's often treated in a dismissive fashion such as "it's all in your head".
PNES is often overlooked in medical research, so most of the literature focuses on psychological explanations like childhood trauma. Trauma can certainly be a risk factor, but that is also how disorders like Schizophrenia were talked about way back in the day, and now we are at least starting to have some more physical explanations. I'm usually the last person to harp on women's issues, but I'll note PNES diagnosis is overwhelmingly female. Feels like we still have a long way to go from the days of "female hysteria".
If anyone wants to read a good memoir about dealing with epilepsy check out "A Mind Unraveled" by Kurt Eichenwald. At one point a neurologist tries to override his original diagnosis of epilepsy as actually being psychological in nature, but there are a number of other infuriating moments in that book.
Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) are one of the more fascinating examples of this, because there is a direct parallel to epileptic seizures. Aside from the fact it's not uncommon for people with epilepsy to be initially misdiagnosed as PNES (and vice versa), it's interesting what a stigma there is against PNES. The seizure-like behavior those patients display is completely beyond their control, yet it's often treated in a dismissive fashion such as "it's all in your head".
PNES is often overlooked in medical research, so most of the literature focuses on psychological explanations like childhood trauma. Trauma can certainly be a risk factor, but that is also how disorders like Schizophrenia were talked about way back in the day, and now we are at least starting to have some more physical explanations. I'm usually the last person to harp on women's issues, but I'll note PNES diagnosis is overwhelmingly female. Feels like we still have a long way to go from the days of "female hysteria".
If anyone wants to read a good memoir about dealing with epilepsy check out "A Mind Unraveled" by Kurt Eichenwald. At one point a neurologist tries to override his original diagnosis of epilepsy as actually being psychological in nature, but there are a number of other infuriating moments in that book.