At the malignant end is malingering and the Munchausen syndrome. At the benign end of this range are patients who describe their symptoms in more florid terms than seem to be justified. “My wife hasn’t had a day of stress in her life. The loss of vision can be complete or only partial. It can last only a few seconds or can persist for several minutes or hours. There are two types of seizures: epileptic and nonepileptic. Psychological factors affecting other medical conditions (PFAOMC) is a classification in the DSM-5 in which a general medical condition is adversely affected by a psychological or behavioral problem. Conversion disorder is a mental condition in which a person has blindness, paralysis, or other nervous system (neurologic) symptoms that cannot be explained by medical evaluation. Causes of sudden vision loss. Hysteria is a pejorative term used colloquially to mean ungovernable emotional excess and can refer to a temporary state of mind or emotion. You’re talking nonsense,” Gerald replied. See p 582 A psychological component exists in all illness, contributing a variable amount to the clinical presentation. Pseudoseizure vs. seizure. You can also experience a blurring of vision that comes on suddenly. The neural mechanisms underlying conversion disorders such as hysterical blindness are at present unknown. In the 20th century, it shifted to being considered a mental illness. Sudden blindness may only last a short time such as a few seconds or hours; however, it could potentially be permanent, especially if not treated quickly. If aphasia has been caused by a sudden brain injury, such as a stroke or severe head injury, symptoms usually develop straight after the injury.. The only possible explanation left for her loss of sight was functional blindness, caused by stress. Sudden loss of vision can occur for a number of reasons. Conversion disorder is a disorder in which a person experiences blindness, paralysis, or other symptoms affecting the nervous system that cannot be explained solely by a physical illness or injury. Causes Conversion disorder symptoms may occur because of a psychological conflict. In the past, these events were often referred to as "hysterical blindness" or "hysterical paralysis." A seizure is an event when you lose control of your body and convulse, possibly also losing consciousness. Aphasia affects everyone differently, but most people will have difficulty expressing themselves or understanding things they hear or read. Conversion disorder is a rare condition in which your brain converts mental stress into physical symptoms. Conversion disorder is a relatively rare mental illness, with 2 to 5 out of 100,000 people reporting symptoms per year. In past eras, such events were often referred to as "hysterical blindness" or "hysterical paralysis." In the 19th century, hysteria was considered a diagnosable physical illness in females. Symptoms usually begin suddenly after a period of emotional or physical distress or psychological conflict. You can experience sudden blindness in both eyes or just in one eye.