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by Brittany Washington (Author)
What if your body wasn't betraying you-but protecting you?
When the Body Speaks follows Korynn, a nineteen-year-old college student navigating young adulthood while living with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) and Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures (PNES). On the surface, she looks like any other student-attending classes, maintaining friendships, and planning for the future. Beneath that surface, her nervous system is constantly scanning, adapting, and responding to a world that often feels overwhelming.
Through gentle storytelling and watercolor-inspired imagery, this book reframes FND and PNES not as signs of a broken body, but as meaningful responses shaped by trauma, sensory overload, and survival. Korynn's symptoms are real, valid, and rooted in her body's attempt to protect her when stress exceeds her capacity to cope.
As Korynn moves through medical appointments, academic pressures, and complicated relationships, she begins to redefine what healing means. Rather than forcing herself to be "normal," she learns to build safety, self-trust, and compassion. Her journey highlights that recovery is not linear, accommodations are not failures, and listening to the body is an act of strength.
Written in an accessible, non-clinical narrative style, When the Body Speaks weaves psychoeducational content seamlessly into the story, making complex neurological and psychological concepts approachable for teens, young adults, and non-medical readers. The result is a book that both informs and validates without minimizing lived experience.
This book serves as both a story and a bridge:
- For individuals living with FND, PNES, epilepsy, chronic illness, or invisible disabilities
- For caregivers, educators, clinicians, and loved ones seeking deeper understanding
- For anyone who has ever felt misunderstood by their own body
Inside, readers will find:
- Clear, compassionate explanations of FND and PNES
- Visual depictions of sensory overload, seizure experiences, and recovery
- Themes of self-advocacy, accommodations, and nervous system regulation
- Trauma-informed education presented in an approachable way
- A powerful message of validation: you are believed, and you are not alone
When the Body Speaks reminds readers that healing does not happen in isolation. Sometimes, the most powerful medicine is safety, understanding, and being seen.
