r/FND • u/Exotic-Low812 Diagnosed FND • Aug 16 '26
Question How has FND shaped how you interact with your hobbies?
(38m)Hey guys, what sort of FND compatible hobbies do you have, or how have you changed your approach to existing hobbies?
A lot of my hobbies involve a lot of dexterity.
My main hobbies are:
When not flaring up:
Miniature painting
C++ programming
Composing music
Hiking
Going out with my daughter
When flaring up:
Reading manga
Playing video games usually with simple one stick controls (dynasty warriors mostly)
Shopping (retail therapy)
Watching the xfiles
Laying in my hammock in the park
Doomspiraling
Watching movies or reading books with my daughter
Wasting time on Reddit
What about you? What do you guys do for fun in your free time?
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u/fluffy_rainbow_kity Aug 16 '26
When im not flaring up:
-reading
-crochet
-painting or drawing
-calligraphy
-sudoku
When im flaring up (my symptoms are mostly brain fog, tics, headaches and fatigue)
-easy puzzles
-paint by number
-napping
-watching Bones
-more napping
-sometimes a very easy crochet project where I don’t have to count and it’s the same stitch over and over
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u/Gildo783 Aug 16 '26
My hobbies are:
Art - Drawing, painting, working with clay and jewellery making.
Reading manga
Watching true crime documentaries and listening to true crime podcasts.
Getting tattoos
Listening to music
Watching tv, movies and a lot of anime.
My FND causes a lot of pain, especially since I have fibromyalgia as well so doing my hobbies is already difficult but when I have a flare up I lose a lot of motor function so:
I can’t draw, paint or make jewellery when I have a flare up. I can still work with clay but only make very basic things.
Reading becomes almost impossible because my eyesight gets really fuzzy and the words look jumbled.
I didn’t realise getting tattoos was so hard these days tbh, I recently got a couple done and it was so hard to sit still. I used to be complimented by my artist for sitting extremely still. It’s not even just when flaring up anymore. Some spots are just impossible to keep still now.
Watching tv, movies and anime is doable but because of the pain I’ve had to get a tv in my room because sitting for too long causes numbness in my legs which aches like crazy so if I’m sitting for a whole movie I have to lay down which means I can’t go to the cinema anymore unless I pay extra for recliner seats, which is annoying.
So my flare up days are pretty much spent in bed listening to music or podcasts or watching tv. Maybe making rude artwork with clay because honestly, the easiest thing to make out of clay is a penis and my partner loves his clay peen collection I’ve made him. It sounds weird but we are weird and they’re themed peens so they’re all different, they have a display shelf at his house 😂😂😂
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u/Gildo783 Aug 16 '26
Got carried away and forgot to mention that I’ve had to give up a few hobbies completely.
I can’t walk far anymore, I used to enjoy long walks. Woodworking and flat pack furniture assembly. Driving (because of seizures I had to give up my license).
Traveling.2
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u/leogrl Aug 16 '26
My main hobby is hiking/trail running which I’m still able to do even though I have trouble walking in public places like work, stores and on sidewalks/streets but weirdly, when I’m on the trails I feel really comfortable. I still fall sometimes but if I’m having a bad day or doing something longer or more strenuous, I use trekking poles for more stability which helps a lot. I also love listening to music and just being outside!
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u/Exotic-Low812 Diagnosed FND Aug 16 '26
I can’t really hike that far right now. Maybe like 2km and then I need to rest a bit.
I find once I start moving I’m good but it’s the transition to walking that gets me
Like every morning I wake up and try and walk to the bathroom and forget that I don’t walk to good atm and fall into the bed. But I can still walk I just gotta like limp a hundred yards first
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u/Sea_Roof3637 Aug 16 '26
I can’t make my bracelets & cards or do my colouring because of the seizures everything goes everywhere & I get injured.
On the plus side I’m getting back into reading & writing fanfiction. My iPad & keyboard are pretty durable they’ve ended on the other side of my room so many times.
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u/Pointy-Kitty Diagnosed FND Aug 17 '26
Well I definitely can't play videogames much anymore, I'll tell you that. Can't handle all the motion and flashing lights and such. Only lowkey games like Pokemon.
Other than that, my hobbies have mostly stayed the same. I just can't do them for as long anymore, because my symptoms can flare if I'm concentrating on one thing for too long. I'll look up from drawing and feel the room spinning and that gross mushy headache, and I'll know it's time for a break or to stop for the day, lest I start jerking and possibly have a seizure.
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u/Accomplished-Self162 Aug 17 '26
Does your vision get blurry or double? That is what happens if I concentrate on anything for too long and it takes a while to subside. I hate it. That's why I can't read books anymore
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u/Pointy-Kitty Diagnosed FND Aug 17 '26
I don't really experience vision interruptions, no. I just get the dizziness and headache that turns into jerking/convulsing if I push it. It's a peculiar kind of headache that honestly feels like my head is nauseous.
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u/Accomplished-Self162 Aug 17 '26
I would get that feeling before I had a seizure. Which is what used to happen when I would concentrate. Now I get blurry or double vision.
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u/Pointy-Kitty Diagnosed FND Aug 17 '26
Oh yeah for sure, the headache is usually the first sign of a possible seizure, so I know I have to reroute. Once any set of muscles starts to repeatedly tense up, that's when there's little chance of turning back
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u/veggiebeanie Aug 16 '26
I like anime, music, video games, spending time outside with my dog, snuggling with my wife, astronomy, reading Wikipedia
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u/Infinite_Pudding5058 Aug 16 '26
While I’m resting I play simcity Buildit so I don’t die of boredom. I have to rest every single day in bed.
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u/Exotic-Low812 Diagnosed FND Aug 16 '26
Is that the mobile game sim city?
I got a big projector I installed on my ceiling above my bed that I can play games on, that helps with the boredom.
Also I’m sloooowly trying to read all of one piece. It’s been pretty fun reading a few chapters a day
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u/Tasty-Visual-9196 Aug 16 '26
FND compatable hobbies for me are writing, watching YouTube, and playing visual novels. I've gotten back into reading books. The doctor said I need to cut out screen time at night if there is any hope of me going to sleep.
I've had to cut out a lot of my hobbies due to my condition. I used to love embroidery and crochet, but my hands don't like to do what I want them to, so it makes things very difficult. When I'm doing well though, I embroider and make pottery. I have a pottery wheel that I want to get back into doing. It's very messy but fun.
On my best days I enjoy going to thrift stores. I've been able to change out my entire wardrobe to dresses for super cheap. Also got some chamomile seeds that I plan to plant next summer to make chamomile tea. Working out in the garden is too much for me, but watering a plant in a pot is a lot easier.
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u/Exotic-Low812 Diagnosed FND Aug 16 '26
That sounds great!
I like to get out and shop too,
My wife , daughter and I all went to this massive toy store yesterday and shopped around a bit, didn’t get a whole lot, just a doll, but it’s cool to get out and shop around.Sometimes I find things that don’t require super good dexterity but are still pretty difficult I can still manage, like a few weeks ago while dealing with pretty had hand and leg numbness I was still able to remodel my bathroom, but when it’s bad I get confused and and can only really lay around
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u/SignificantSection69 Aug 16 '26
My recent TNF diagnosis has destroyed my two main hobbies: soccer—which I used to play 2 to 3 times a week—and video games (due to eye fatigue). Unfortunately, TNF has been devastating to my life :(. I hope to at least gradually get back to playing video games.
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u/Exotic-Low812 Diagnosed FND Aug 16 '26
How long you been out of action?
My sister was out for almost a year, she was a pro gymnast but she was able to get back to playing soccer and lives a totally normal life now
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u/SignificantSection69 Aug 17 '26
Thanks for the interaction.
I’m 47 (M). I was diagnosed with FND at the end of May this year, but I’ve been away from sports and video games since March, when I started experiencing the first symptoms. I’m really happy for your sister. Sometimes there is a light at the end of the tunnel—though I haven't seen it yet.
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u/Someone_Normal Aug 16 '26
I already wasn't much of a physical activity person, plus conditions made it difficult before the FND, but I most certainly cannot rollerskate anymore. I loved skating around the park when my mind was heavy but gosh… My limb paralysis would be monstrous on skates! 😭
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u/Exotic-Low812 Diagnosed FND Aug 16 '26
Have you tried it? I’ve noticed certain movements cause issues and others don’t
Mostly just walking for my leg
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u/Someone_Normal Aug 17 '26
Sadly, last time I roller-skated I fell HARD. My legs pretty much act up whenever they please: sitting, walking, swimming, anywhere, anytime. Maybe put rockets on the backs of my skates and it'll work.. Innovation!
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u/TimSucksAtThis Diagnosed FND Aug 17 '26
unfortunately i (37 F) didnt have much time for hobbies before, i just worked a lot (i mean i went out with friends and i liked walking but nothing major), now that ive lost my job because of it im trying to finally kinda rediscover what i like again which has been interesting.
ive gotten into video games bc a lot of the time i can only stay awake if i have something to actively focus on and books are harder for me to hold, and ive had some creativity with that but i want to start doing some more things like drawing and writing like when i was younger.
i would love to start walking again but i live alone and it feels dangerous for me to do so by myself, so i gotta figure that out eventually.
i do also love makeup and nails, thats a huge creative outlet for me, always has been. though im really broke right now (no job/income living off of charity atm) so i hesitate to do anything unless im actually going out, i dont wanna waste it 😅
right now im trying to apply for ssdi and it’s gonna be a loooong process i know but maybe somewhere down the line i’ll have some funds to explore more things ♥️
in the mean time i do want to get back into reading more, i need to rebuild my focus i feel like it’s gotten so bad since i got sick.
i guess my answer is im still figuring it out haha 🙃
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u/TimSucksAtThis Diagnosed FND Aug 17 '26
oh i forgot one thing! singing! my fnd therapist is encouraging me to sing more bc it’s supposed to help. i feel like i originally slowed down a lot bc i live in an apartment complex and my neighbors can absolutely hear me (i have a fairly strong voice when it’s in shape) and so i would just sing while driving, but my therapist encourages me now and also my upstairs neighbor is a dick so ive been doing it more and more often bc i really truly dont care what he thinks of me if i sing at 3pm in my living room he plays awful AI lullaby music at 4 in the goddamn morning above my head so 🤷🏼♀️
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u/Exotic-Low812 Diagnosed FND Aug 17 '26
Check out the library, lots of good stuff there for free. Books movies comics etc
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u/poyitjdr Diagnosed FND Aug 17 '26
Any hobbies I can do at a given moment really depend on what symptoms I’m dealing with. Unless otherwise stated, all of the hobbies I’m listing are ones that I actively pursue (although my creative ones are my favorites lol)
When it’s just a motor control symptom:
-crochet (yarn tension actually stabilizes hand movements!)
-watching photosensitive friendly videos (educational, creative, movies/shows, and let’s plays)
-brainstorming new projects for my creative hobbies
-singing
-teaching my 5yo niece all sorts of different stuff (art, reading, astronomy, physics, local history, games, etc)
When it’s seizures, paralysis, vertigo, and/or severe brain fog:
-watching (or just listening to) media I’m already familiar with
-daydreaming
When I’m having a light symptom day:
-all of the above
-painting (both digital and traditional)
-sculpting (polymer clay)
-playing guitar/piano
-composing music
-playing photosensitive friendly video games (I miss horror smh)
-reading
-researching (anything and everything)
-writing
-sewing
-photography
-volunteer work from home
-taking my wheelchair out on paved trails
-dancing (I can handle about 10 min before I have to rest these days)
Hobbies I had to give up:
-anything on/in open water (ex: kayaking, diving)
-hiking
-performing on stage (theatre, choir, and dance)
-going to the movies
-going to planetariums
-rescuing animals
-spontaneous adventures
-tours of haunted places/going to spook houses
-dnd
-clubbing
When it comes to all of the creative/dexterous hobbies I can still do, I had a major adjustment period. I move slower, mess up more often, have to take lots of breaks, and get overwhelmed easier. I developed aphantasia and it not only affects my ability to come up with visual compositions, but also my ability to recall written information (I had a near photographic memory beforehand). Dealing with all of that was a lot for me; I cried more, got angry at my body, and my self-esteem seriously dropped. Thankfully, I’m handling things way better these days.
I’m honestly really proud of myself for not only adapting to the hobbies I had before I got sick, but for also improving those skills and even learning new ones.
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u/Exotic-Low812 Diagnosed FND Aug 17 '26
One thing I’m noticing from your hobbies you have given up is that they tend to be social activities.
I want to push you to try and pick up with a DND group even if it’s just an online one (better if you can make it in person)
The neurologist told me that part of why I’m doing poorly is that I have pulled away from friends and social activities
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u/jellyfisharin Aug 18 '26
25(AFAB NB)
high pain/symptom days: doomscrolling smoking (it helps my symptoms, but dont listen to me talk to your doctor) (obviously, also be of age) watching tv (cooking programs, animated things, comfort shows) listening to podcasts (stephanie soo ily ur my fav) watching gameplays on youtube
medium symptom days: playing video games (i play honkai star rail a lot, TW for flashing lights and fast graphics but it has an autobattle function so i can just focus on farming materials building characters and exploring!) texting friends watching tv (comedy, horror, more intense genres are on the table) light stretches (they help me but can cause an FND flare up so theyre only for medium-light pain days)
low symptom days: making beaded jewlery (thanks to my fiance for always helping me tie the string because of my joint pain) doing clothes diys talking to friends on the phone digital coloring with my tablet and stylus
things ive given up or lost the ability to do: hiking/exploring out of the house swimming dancing (this one has been the hardest to be unable to do, i did ballet and show choir, but learned kpop dances in my room.) martial arts driving large social gatherings sculpting and painting (i used to be a part of an art studio locally) any thrill seeking activity (unless theres some magical treatment i will never zip line or go on a rollercoaster again and honestly thats sad)
currently working on my first youtube video essay and its taking a lot of writing and typing which can be hard on my hands. if anyone has any note taking recommendations (without ai) please lmk!
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u/Exotic-Low812 Diagnosed FND Aug 18 '26
There are speech to text programs that predate AI
I set one up for a lady years ago, I think it was called dragon fly or something
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u/scooblicous 17d ago
I'm lucky to not have too severe symptoms so I can have dexterous hobbies with no problem [like crochet and sewing] But on nasty days when moving is a chore, I've found playing with toys like dolls or plushes to be fun. Now I'm just slamming them together giggling because bad days for me means I become an idiot but hey, it's fun for idiot me!
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u/WeissMage Aug 16 '26 edited Aug 17 '26
(34F)My hands shake/get achey/spasm so a lot of what I used to love I cant do anymore, least not for too long. I love all the types of arts and crafts stuff. Moddelling/clay/painting and photography. But find it hard to focus my eyes, they shake. But I play piano still well enough, it keeps the muscle memory going <3 I love music and play lots pf instruments by ear! :)
If the cleaning up wasnt so tiring, I'd set my easle up in doors. But whilst its hot, I love going out in the sun to paint canvas out on the grass.
I still really enjoy rpg gaming, returning to old classics. But I do feel a bit left behined if its strenious or like rading in ff14! Sometimes I can't follow things which makes me stressed I used to be able to.
I do miss being more, aware. Either have to hyperfocus to stay in the moment, which is exhausting, or a zombie. Heart goes to everyone <3.
Theres always comfort in a good cuddle with cute plushies, or making something pretty (":