Psychological stress has profound impact on how the brain functions. Hormones associated with stress can disrupt normal brain activity.

 In individuals who are more vulnerable to Functional Neurological disorder, this disrupted activity can worsen symptoms. Our creative piece is inspired by an analogy made by Egberdina J. Zefa van der Hulst which likens the impact of stress on people who have Functional Neurological Disorder to a pressure cooker.

We chose to represent a build-up of stress in the brain in the form of boiling water inside a kettle, and the consequent surfacing, resurfacing or worsening of disease symptoms as the whistling reaction to boiling water.

 The hands holding the kettle are symbolic of an individual’s support system and reflects the importance of this in relieving stressors and minimising the impact on the individual.

 The hands bear the weight of the kettle entirely to reflect the commitment of the carers, friends, and family in supporting the people with Functional Neurological Disorder, as well as the criticality of a social support systems in the recovery and management of Functional Neurological Disorder.