FACTS & MYTHS OF EPILEPSY
Epilespy is a medical anomaly that has afflicted people since the beginning of time. Hippocrates, the great Greek physician asserted that epilepsy was a brain disorder and people must not think of it as anything different. Unfortunately, the notion of that time was that epilepsy was a result of a curse from the gods, or that people were possessed by demons. Many also believed that epilepsy was a punishment for past sins. These myths along with many others have been perpetuated throughout the ages. People have been burned at the stake, exorcised, tortured and committed to insane asylums due to this neurological condition. These misunderstandings, although diminished to a great extent, continue to be a part of the common misconceptions that circulate in these modern times. These powerful and negative stereotypes can affect a person with epilepsy profoundly. In an effort to dispel these myths a list of facts and myths are presented below.
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Epilepsy is contagious.....MYTH (Epilepsy cannot be contracted. It is a neurological disorder).
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Epilepsy is a mental illness.....MYTH (Epilepsy in no fashion is associated with mental illness).
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Epilepsy is a life long condition....MYTH (A person diagnosed with epilepsy can have this condition their entire life but some people become seizure free for no apparent reason after a period of time).
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Most people with epilepsy can live normal lives....FACT (80% of people who have epilepsy live outwardly normal lives).
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There is no known cure for epilepsy.....FACT ( At this time there is no known cure. However, seizures for the most part can be controlled with medication. In some cases surgery is necessary and in some instances neither treatment is effective).
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A person who has epilepsy is violent.....MYTH (When a person has a seizure they may have jerky body motions, convulsions or become unconscious, but by no means do they become violent).
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With some forms of seizures an observer may not know that a seizure is occuring.....FACT (Some seizures are hard to detect. Absence seizures are seizures that are characterized with bouts of fixed staring for a few seconds or more. Often these types of seizures are mistaken for a person day-dreaming).
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Epilepsy is a psychological condition.....MYTH (Epilepsy is a medical condition. Seizures are a result of unsual electrical energy discharges in the brain).
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A person is born with epilepsy....MYTH (Epilepsy often appears in children and young adults, although people of any age can develop epilepsy).
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The word 'FITS' is an outdated term for seizures....FACT (People with epilepsy have recurrent seizures. Using the term 'fit' to describe a seizure can be hurtful).
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When a person is having a seizure you can make them 'SNAP OUT' of it....MYTH ( a seizure has to run its' course. The best thing to do is to watch and offer verbal and safety support for the individual).
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A person who has epilepsy prefers to be described as an individual who has epilepsy as opposed to being called an epileptic....FACT. (The term 'epileptic' may be hurtful and can make the person feel as though it defines who they are).
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A person can swallow their tongue during a seizure....MYTH. (It is physically impossible to swallow your tongue. One should never force something into a person mouth during a seizure. A person can be seriously harmed if this is done).
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