A young woman from Staffordshire has revealed how she went to sleep with a migraine and woke up speaking with a completely different regional accent, a phenomenon linked to a rare neurological condition.
The Day Everything Changed
On October 4, 2023, 28-year-old Verity Went from Penkridge decided to take a nap to relieve a migraine, a symptom of her Functional Neurological Disorder (FND). When she awoke a couple of hours later, her speech was initially slurred. However, within just five minutes, her voice cleared – but it was no longer her own.
"I was terrified," Verity admitted. She found herself speaking with a thick Geordie accent, despite having no prior connection to Newcastle. She visited her doctor immediately, who, aware of her FND history, suspected a neurological episode rather than a stroke. The doctor was shocked, having only heard of such cases, and referred Verity to hospital.
Living with a New Voice
Verity has since been diagnosed with Foreign Accent Syndrome (FAS), an extremely rare condition often arising from brain injury or neurological issues. Her FND, which involves 'medically unexplained' symptoms in the nervous system, is believed to be the cause. Remarkably, her new accent has persisted unchanged since that day.
To test its authenticity, Verity recently travelled to Newcastle with her boyfriend Charlie. "No one could tell the difference between me and a real Geordie – it was surreal," she said. Locals accepted her accent without question.
Embracing a New Identity
While the change was deeply distressing at first, causing her to feel she had lost herself, Verity has now wholeheartedly embraced her new voice. "My friends and family are so used to it now, and everyone says they believe this is the real me, and that I suit it more than my original accent," she explained.
The transformation is so profound it has even altered her inner world. Her inner monologue, dreams, and even her sleep-talking now occur in the Geordie accent. "I don’t want my voice to change back now," Verity stated. "The change itself is so stressful and it took so long to find who I am – I don’t want to go through that again."
She is currently working with an occupational therapist specialising in FND to understand her condition better. Fortunately, the seizures she once experienced have now stopped. Verity's story is a powerful testament to the brain's mysterious capabilities and one woman's journey to accepting an unexpected new version of herself.
