Epilepsy Talk

The Isolation of Epilepsy  | November 15, 2023

You’re reluctant to go out.  Because having a seizure can be so unpredictable and embarrassing.

You think: “What if I have a seizure?  What will people do?  What will they think of me?”

Those and many other self doubting questions run through your mind.

Even if you’ve only had a few seizures, there’s always the fear that silent (or not so silent) enemy may strike again.  So why chance it?

Social Stigma

The history of epilepsy is in a sense the history of stigma, which is deeply discrediting and can reduce a person with epilepsy from a whole and unique person to a tainted, discounted one.

Stigma carries a sense of shame associated with being “epileptic” and the fear of discrimination.

Fear, misunderstanding and the resulting social stigma surrounding epilepsy can result in social, and sometimes even legal discrimination.

All over the world, the social consequences of epilepsy are often the cause of more suffering than the seizures themselves.

Problems are especially felt in the fields of education and employment, personal relationships and sometimes, even law.

These attitudes undermine the treatment of the condition globally.

A fundamental part of ridding the world of the stigma, which has cost people with epilepsy so dearly for so long, is to raise public and professional awareness and to change the legislation which reinforces this fear and discrimination.

Stress

Just the stress of dealing with society’s often hostile attitudes toward disability in general and epilepsy in particular, can cause you to hide your condition so you won’t be stigmatized.

And there’s the possibility of being “found out.”

So isolation becomes preferable to social interaction.

Confidence and self-esteem plummet, replaced by feelings of helplessness and depression.

Then there’s the added emotional baggage of fearing recurring seizures.

It’s like a cloud hanging over your head, or impending doom.

The loss of control, embarrassment and humiliation, strike again.

Contemporary western culture has glorified the image of the controlled and independent adult.

The unpredictability of having a seizure, as well as the obvious loss of control during seizures, doesn’t exactly fit this image.

And by “failing” to meet these standards, a person’s sense of self-worth is affected.

In one study, participants anticipated that their self-perceptions and self-esteem would be more positive if they didn’t have epilepsy.

Self-perception turned out to be one of the most important predictors of successful social relationships in people with epilepsy — even more important than seizure frequency, severity, or other medical factors!

Limitations

Lots of people with epilepsy have physical disabilities which also limit independence.

Like not having a driver’s license and being stuck — except for rides from others or public transportation, which isn’t available everywhere. (Like here!)

So the ability to do simple things like grocery shopping, errands, getting to a doctor’s appointment and just socializing in general are stymied.

Plus, with many there’s the stress of not being able to commute to a job.

Or not having a job at all.

Which means no insurance, the agony of social security and whatever other financial assistance is available.

More than 50% of people with seizures are either underemployed or unemployed.

That’s a staggering statistic. So there’s the economic strain of sustaining a household, not to mention the added expenses of anti-seizure meds.

Adjustment

The impact of epilepsy can be devastating and debilitating, if you choose it to be.

But, it’s is also very manageable with the love, support, acceptance, openness and understanding of family, friends, peers and the community.

With education, shared information, more self-knowledge and acceptance, you can gain a greater sense of mastery over both your fears and your seizures.

That way, YOU take control.

Remember: Knowledge is power.

And epilepsy is just a condition.

Ultimately, you are in charge of your life!

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Resources:

http://neurologyasia.org/articles/20073_010.pdf

http://www.charge.org.uk/htmlsite/about_txt.shtml

http://ninascourage.org/psycho-social-aspects/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3200035/

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