If symptoms are new, sudden, severe, or unlike your usual FND pattern, seek urgent medical help. Urgent help
FND Connect

Can you make it through a normal day with FND?

Symptoms fluctuate. Energy is limited. Plans change unexpectedly. This interactive experience is designed to help families, friends, employers and supporters feel why invisible effort can be exhausting.

Start my FND day Accessibility options

Based on common lived experiences shared across the FND community. This is not a medical simulation, diagnosis tool or attempt to represent every person's FND.

Illustration of one person moving through a day with FND symptoms and rest

Invisible does not mean imaginary.

This is a short empathy experience, not a game to win. The goal is to make unpredictability, cognitive load, pacing decisions and hidden effort easier to understand.

1

Plans change

You may choose carefully and still meet a sudden symptom spike.

2

Effort is hidden

Replying, travelling, cooking or smiling can use more capacity than people see.

3

Pacing matters

Resting early can protect the day, even when it looks like doing less.

Interactive experience

Choose a day to step into

The same condition can affect home life, work, school, relationships and appointments differently. Choose a lens, set accessibility preferences, then try to get through the day.

Accessibility options

You can pause or restart at any time. Symptom effects are deliberately gentle and can be reduced or simplified.

Illustration of a person pausing after showering during a morning routine
Morning routines can cost more energy than they appear to.
Illustration of a person facing laptop and message overload
Cognitive overload can build before anyone else notices.
Illustration of a person resting in the evening
Rest can be active symptom management, not giving up.

What to do after the experience

If this helped you understand FND differently, share it with someone who needs a more human explanation. If you live with FND, use it as a conversation starter rather than a test you have to pass.

For families and friends

Notice the hidden effort behind cancellations, slower replies and changed plans.

Read the partner guide

For employers and schools

Use the experience to discuss reasonable adjustments, pacing and safer expectations.

Read the work guide

For people with FND

Build a next steps plan around treatment, support, benefits, work and safety.

Build your plan

Sources and context

This experience is built from common themes in lived experience: fluctuating symptoms, fatigue, cognitive overload, pacing, masking and invisible effort. For clinical information, start with these resources.