It is very rare for people with functional seizures to sustain a serious injury.  However, cuts and bruises are common.  It is worth remembering that most bangs to the head don’t result in any injury to the brain.  However, it is true that people with functional seizures can occasionally sustain significant injuries, and the risk varies between individuals depending on the nature and frequency of the seizures they have.

In general, wearing a helmet to protect from head injury is not recommended either in people with epilepsy or functional seizures.  This is for a number of reasons, not least that wearing a helmet could be embarrassing, would be likely to increase the stigma people with these disorders face already or make it harder to participate in work or social situations.  In functional seizures, there is the additional problem that using a helmet could actually make seizures more frequent, through changes in the brain’s attention system.

If you have wondered whether wearing a helmet could be helpful in your case, this is something you should discuss with your own clinician.  It is really important that any advice is given on an individual basis, having considered the pros and cons for that individual.  Having had advice from your own clinician, you can make a decision on what is right for you.