“They Said It Was Anxiety”: When Neurological Symptoms Are Dismissed as Psychological
Summary
Weakness, numbness, vision changes, seizures and speech problems can come from many causes, including stroke, multiple sclerosis, tumours and functional neurological disorder. When symptoms are put down to anxiety or stress without proper examination, a serious condition can be missed, and a genuine functional disorder can go unrecognised too. This guide explains what should happen, and when being dismissed may point to care that fell short.
Quick answer · updated November 2026
New neurological symptoms deserve a proper neurological examination. Functional neurological disorder (FND) is a real condition, diagnosed on positive signs, not simply by ruling things out or calling it anxiety. If your symptoms were dismissed as psychological and a structural condition was later found, or you were never properly assessed, it is worth having your care looked at.
Neurological symptoms at a glance
- 1SymptomsWeakness, numbness, vision, speech, seizures.
- 2AssessmentHistory and neurological examination.
- 3TestsScans or other tests where needed.
- 4DiagnosisStructural cause, FND, or both.
- 5If it worsensNew or worsening signs need review.
At any stage: sudden weakness, facial droop, slurred speech or vision loss may be a stroke. Call 000.
I was thirty-four when my left hand started dropping things. Then my left foot started catching on steps.
My GP said I was stressed. I was a single mum working two jobs, so I believed her. She suggested a psychologist.
Six months later I went to emergency with double vision. The doctor glanced at my history, saw “anxiety”, and sent me home.
I started to think I was going mad.
A composite story, drawn from the experiences of many families I have worked with, combined and changed so that no one can be identified. It does not describe any individual client.
If your neurological symptoms were dismissed as stress or anxiety, I want you to know that your experience matters and your questions are reasonable. Being disbelieved about your own body is deeply distressing, whatever the final diagnosis turns out to be.
This guide covers what should happen, what FND is, the risks of missing a structural diagnosis, records, and how the law looks at it.
Why I can write this
I have been a medical negligence lawyer since 2014 and have worked on many hundreds of claims, including many where symptoms were dismissed. My doctorate looked at patterns of failure in medical negligence. I am not medically qualified. The clinical facts in this article are checked against named sources, listed in the references, and I explain how I work in our editorial standards.
Start with your question
- What should happen when I report neurological symptoms?
- What is functional neurological disorder?
- What conditions can be missed?
- Can anxiety cause neurological symptoms?
- When is it an emergency?
- What should my records show?
- Could being dismissed be negligence?
What should happen
New neurological symptoms deserve a careful history and a neurological examination, and often referral or tests. A previous mental health history should not stop symptoms being examined.
Functional neurological disorder
The Brain Foundation describes FND as a genuine disorder of brain functioning in which symptoms are involuntary, not imagined or deliberate. It is diagnosed on positive clinical signs found during a neurological examination, rather than simply by ruling out other conditions, and it can occur alongside conditions such as epilepsy or migraine.1 It is often under-recognised.1
Definition
Diagnosis of exclusion means a diagnosis made only because tests found nothing else.
In plain terms: “we can’t find anything, so it must be in your head”.
That matters both ways: FND should not be a label used without examination, and “anxiety” should not be assumed without looking for neurological signs.
What can be missed
Conditions such as multiple sclerosis, stroke or TIA, brain or spinal tumours, nerve compression and seizure disorders can present with symptoms that are mistaken for stress. Our guides to a second stroke and cauda equina syndrome cover related missed diagnoses.
Anxiety and the body
Anxiety can cause physical symptoms, but it doesn’t usually cause objective neurological signs, such as one-sided weakness or changed reflexes. That is why examination matters.
Questions to ask
- Have you done a neurological examination?
- What signs did you find, or not find?
- Should I see a neurologist?
- What would make you investigate further?
When it’s urgent
See a doctor soon
- Weakness or numbness on one side that persists
- Changes in walking or balance
- Vision changes
In plain terms: ask for a neurological examination.
Call 000
- Sudden weakness or facial droop
- Slurred speech
- Sudden vision loss
- A first seizure
In plain terms: these may be stroke signs.
If you felt brushed off, see when being dismissed by a doctor becomes a legal issue.
A neurologist finally saw me. She examined me for forty minutes. My reflexes were brisk on the left, and there were other signs. An MRI showed multiple sclerosis.
When I got my GP notes, five visits said “anxiety, stress, reassured”. None recorded an examination of my arms or legs.
I started treatment more than a year after my first symptoms.
My sister hugged me in the neurologist’s car park. “You weren’t making it up,” she said. I cried with relief and anger at the same time.
A composite story, drawn from the experiences of many families I have worked with, combined and changed so that no one can be identified. It does not describe any individual client.
What to look for in the records
Your records are often where the story becomes clear. You have a right to access your own health information. In NSW the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 covers both public and private providers, and the Information and Privacy Commission explains how to ask.2 Our step-by-step guide to getting your medical records in Australia walks you through it.
| Record | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| GP notes | Whether examinations were recorded. |
| Emergency notes | What was assessed and why you were discharged. |
| Mental health history | Whether it influenced decisions. |
| Referral letters | When specialist review was requested. |
| Scans and tests | What was found, and when. |
| Neurology letters | The diagnosis and its timeline. |
| Your own diary, photos and messages | Notes made at the time are evidence too. Keep them. |
How the law looks at it
Being given a wrong or delayed diagnosis is not automatically negligence, but it is always worth asking how it happened. The questions are whether you were properly examined and investigated, and whether a delay changed your outcome.
A claim usually turns on three questions: whether the care fell below what peers would widely accept as competent practice (section 5O of the Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW))3, whether that shortfall probably caused harm you wouldn't otherwise have had (Tabet v Gett)4, and, where it matters, whether you were told the material risks first (Rogers v Whitaker)56. Our guide to how a medical negligence claim works explains each one in plain terms.
In a dismissed neurological symptoms case, the questions might be: was a neurological examination done and recorded? Were objective signs missed? Was referral or imaging arranged when it should have been? Was a mental health history allowed to replace assessment?
In plain terms, the question is whether earlier diagnosis would probably have led to treatment that avoided or reduced harm, such as relapses, disability or a stroke.
For diagnosis cases, the focus is usually on assessment and investigation rather than consent.
Who can claim, and when
The person harmed can claim. If they have died, their family may have a claim. In NSW, time usually runs from when you knew, or ought to have known, enough to claim, not from the treatment itself, and courts can sometimes extend it, so an old injury may still count. See time limits in NSW or other states, and ask early.
More: complaint or claim? · how a claim is paid for · what a claim can cover
In my practice
In these files, the word “anxiety” often appears early and then repeats through every later note, while examination findings are missing. People tell me the hardest part was being disbelieved. Reading their notes and seeing that nobody examined them can be both painful and validating.
Both things can be true
Your GP may have been caring and busy, and still missed what your body was saying. And FND, if that is your diagnosis, is just as real as any other condition.
The bigger picture
Awareness of FND has grown, and so has recognition that dismissal harms patients.1 You can check a practitioner on the Ahpra public register,7 and complaints about care in NSW can go to the Health Care Complaints Commission.8 Our guide to getting your medical records explains how to ask for your file.
Support
You don't have to work through this alone. These services can help:
- Lifeline, 24-hour crisis support: 13 11 14 (listed on healthdirect's helplines page)9
- Beyond Blue, anxiety and depression support: 1300 22 4636
- Medicare Mental Health, help finding mental health support: 1800 595 212
- healthdirect, 24-hour nurse advice: 1800 022 222
- Health Care Complaints Commission (NSW): 1800 043 159
A mother who thought she was going mad now holds the notes that show nobody examined her. You deserve to be believed too.
With care,
Rosemary
Frequently asked questions
Can neurological symptoms be caused by anxiety?
Anxiety can cause physical symptoms, but objective neurological signs need examining.
What is FND?
A genuine brain-functioning disorder, diagnosed on positive signs during examination.
Is FND “all in your head”?
No. Symptoms are real and involuntary.
What should my doctor do?
Take a history and do a neurological examination, and refer or test where needed.
What if my MS or tumour was missed?
Ask for your records; a delay may have affected treatment.
Can I claim if my symptoms were dismissed?
You may well have a claim if assessment fell below the standard and the delay caused harm.
Were your symptoms dismissed?
When you're ready, and not before, I can look at what happened and help you understand your options.
Missed and delayed diagnosis guides
- “They said it was anxiety”: When neurological symptoms are dismissed as psychological (you are here)
- Bowel obstruction after dismissed pain
- A cancer recurrence that wasn’t monitored
- A second heart attack or stroke
- Bowel cancer diagnosed late
Part of our guide to missed and delayed diagnosis. Not sure where you stand? Try the free claim checker.
References
- Brain Foundation. Functional Neurological Disorder (FND).
- Information and Privacy Commission NSW. Fact sheet: Accessing your health information in NSW.
- Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) s 5O, Standard of care for professionals.
- Tabet v Gett [2010] HCA 12.
- Rogers v Whitaker [1992] HCA 58; (1992) 175 CLR 479.
- Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. Informed consent.
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. Register of practitioners.
- Health Care Complaints Commission NSW. Home page.
- healthdirect Australia. Mental health helplines.
Stories in this article are composites, drawn from the experiences of many families I have worked with, combined and changed so that no one can be identified. They do not describe any individual client.
Dr Rosemary Listing, PhD (Law), Medical negligence lawyer since 2014 · Of Counsel, Peter Evans & Associates. Rosemary's doctorate examined patterns of failure in medical negligence, and she teaches health law at the University of Newcastle. She is not medically qualified. About Rosemary.
Last updated: 10 November 2026 · First published: 10 November 2026 · Next review: May 2027
Cite this article: Listing R. “They said it was anxiety”: When neurological symptoms are dismissed as psychological. Reframe Legal. Published 10 November 2026. https://reframelegal.com/neurological-symptoms-dismissed-as-psychological/
This article is general information, not legal or medical advice. It does not create a lawyer–client relationship. Speak to your treating clinicians about your health, and get legal advice about your own situation.
If you are in danger or need urgent medical help, call 000. For crisis support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Legal services are provided by Peter Evans & Associates.