Epilepsy. The fourth most common neurological disorder in the United States. Seizures are the result of this disorder which stem from the control center of the body to the brain. In order to be diagnosed with this disease, two seizures must occur that are not caused from known medical conditions. The causes of epilepsy can be injury, genetics, and infectious diseases. When a seizure occurs, many signs and symptoms arise. Confusion, staring, jerking, and anxiety can occur at the beginning stages of a seizure. For many people, this can be difficult to watch and experience, especially if it is a loved one. For me, I have experienced my little sister, as well as my dog, suffer with this condition and will have to for the rest of their lives.
In 2016, my sister began experiencing what she thought were anxiety attacks, but she later discovered were seizures brought on by anxiety. She would have a glazed look on her face, staring into space, while basically blacking out. After this continued for months, she decided that it was time to find the cause of these odd episodes. After countless doctor visits, multiple head scans, the neurologist discovered multiple cysts on her brain. He explained that she was experiencing seizures, and that it was brought on by anxiety. Not only was she affected by anxiety, but was also epileptic.
This disease has brought on many challenges for my sister. She is eighteen years old and does not have her driver's license. Why, you might ask, what eighteen year old wouldn't want to be able to drive around town with their friends, blasting music in the car? Although dependent on state laws and most are lenient, there is a stigma surrounding drivers with epilepsy. This can cause social issues and contribute to more anxiety problems.
Besides psychological issues, epilepsy can also cause physical problems. After trying and failing with multiple medications that aid to epilepsy and having to watch my sister struggle to find the right medication to control the seizures, I also saw her experience many side effects of the drugs. After coming home from high school, she would go straight to bed and sleep for hours. Along with tiredness, she also would not feel hunger and often skip meals, causing her to lose an unhealthy amount of weight. Although the medication may aid to the actual cause of the seizures, some medications for epilepsy can cause such severe side effects that question the use of them.
Besides watching my sister struggle with the effects of epilepsy, I have also watched my 11 year old dog suffer through uncontrollable seizures. The first night I saw her experience an episode her mouth foamed, her body jerked, and she stared into space. There was nothing I could do to help her, which is one of the worst effects of this disease.
Sixty five million people around the world are affected by epilepsy. While this affects so many, there is few solutions to help the ones struggling. While medication does exist, the side effects can outweigh the benefits. A stigma surrounding epilepsy is one of the major problems that epileptic people encounter. We must break the stigma of epilepsy and spread awareness, as well as research to find a cure.
