Epilepsy Talk
Gaslighting — What to Do When It Happens To You
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Is your doctor making you feel crazy? Like it’s all in your head? Could you be a hypochondriac?
You must be imagining your symptoms. Of maybe you’re just in a panic.
“Go home and take two Advil. Or maybe two Xanax. You’ll feel fine when this blows over. I assure you.”
Maybe you should have gone to Google first.
Epilepsy and Exercise
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Many people with epilepsy, especially those with uncontrolled seizures, live a sedentary life and have low physical fitness.
Because they’ve been told that exercise can trigger seizures.
Not necessarily so. At least for a large population of those with epilepsy.
Clinical and experimental studies have analyzed the effect of physical exercise on epilepsy.
The result? Exercise can be beneficial.
Doctors behaving badly…
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We all have had at least one experience when a doctor either behaved badly or treated us in a way we didn’t feel we deserved.
“He could have spoken in a nicer tone,” you might mumble to your husband.
But what do you do when the experience with a doctor takes a sharper turn?
What if he doesn’t believe your symptoms or validate your experience?
What if he doesn’t take into account your pain before beginning an in-office procedure?
The shock, fear, and disappointment of having a bad doctor experience can be daunting.
What can you do?
Tags: behaving badly, disappointment, disrespectful, disruptive physician behavior, doctors', fear, lawsuits, shock, toxic, unprofessional
Heat Is Not Our Friend…
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And it can trigger some pretty awful consequences.
Like the time I was gardening at high noon. (What was I thinking about?) I fell backwards, hitting my head on the walkway. And I couldn’t ask for help because I was out cold. Baking in the sun.
And I’m sure you have your own stories. About passing out, puking or just feeling like you’re as dizzy as if you were on a roller coaster ride.
An epileptologist explained that heat can trigger a seizure for some people because it’s firing up the neurons in the brain which can cause a seizure.
Some examples:
Tags: dehydration, first aid, heat, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat index, heat rash, heat stroke, hot weather, lightning, medication side-effects, seizures, sunstroke, thunderstorms, tired muscles, Topamax
10 Ways to Cope with Your Stress and Anxiety
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You’re choking. You’re drowning. You’re going down for the count. How many times have we all been there?
I’m sure everyone has their own way of coping — or else we wouldn’t be here.
Nonetheless, here are some helpful tips to get you over that hump…
Tags: anxiety, best case, celebrate, cope, fear, panic, perfection, perspective, pro-active, reality, support, talk, worst case
CBT — When you feel that you’ve hit rock bottom…
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Sara had a brain surgery gone wrong. She spent all of her savings and all of her resources on rehab. One year later, she went home, only to be able to toilet herself and say “dog”. She was lost.
Both physically and mentally. You might say she was “a basket case”.
Sandy was in a near fatal car accident. She survived, but just barely. After her physical healing, she said she couldn’t put two sentences together.
Then she heard about CBT.
Tags: anxiety disorders, behavioral therapy, behaviors, CBT, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, cognitive therapy, control, coping strategies, depression, feelings, Panic Attacks, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorders, problem-solving, psychiatric medications, severe mental illness., thoughts
Epilepsy And Complementary Medicine…
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Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM) is just what it sounds like. Something to complement the AED regimen you’re already on. And perhaps take an extra step (with your doctor’s go-ahead) to alleviate seizures.
There are lots of alternatives, so I’ll touch on the most popular ones here. (Somehow, I don’t think you’re going to be turning to stones or amulets for relief!)
Tags: acupressure, acupuncture, aromatherapy, biofeedback, chiropractic care, Complementary Alternative Medicine, essential oils, herbal medicine, Homeopathy, massage, meditation, Naturopathy, Orrin Devinsky, reflexology, relaxation techniques, seizure control, stress reduction, tai chi, yoga
12 Things Your Doctor Won’t Tell You…
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Modern medicine can do miraculous things — but every test and treatment has a downside.
And your doctor may not disclose the dangers without prompting, a new survey finds.
Researchers surveyed 2,700 patients who’d recently decided whether or not to have surgery, take a medication, or undergo cancer screening.
Most reported their physician spent far more time talking up the benefits of each choice than explaining the risks.
Tags: alternatives, benefit, choose wisely, cost, disclose dangers, insurance, misuse, overuse, quotas, referrals, risks, side effects, underuse, unnecessary tests
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