Understanding Epilepsy

This is dedicated to one of my closest friends and many other people dealing with epilepsy. There are many types of epilepsy, but my friend was diagnosed with absence seizures. These are seizures that cause you to blank out for a short period of time which depends on your frame of my mind.

I never really had a clear sense of what epilepsy was but I discovered more about it when my friend opened up to me about her condition when she had recently been diagnosed. It made me realize how much complications people with epilepsy have to undergo. Apart from experiencing epileptic seizures, some may also feel stressed, anxious or depressed. This doesn't help when the seizures are unpredictable. Having epilepsy can restrict you in things such as driving, pregnancy and employment which can also lead to these emotions. It can be disheartening when you set your mind to accomplish something, then have your hopes put down when you are told you can't do it.

My friend struggled to cope with these restrictions and started to isolate herself as she felt as though she was never going to achieve what she wanted in life. That's where the anxiety kicked in. There is this fear of not knowing what is going to happen. Despite not being able to follow her career path towards becoming an engineer, when she was told her condition would be a health and safety issue; she gained an interest in business. However, what affected her the most was when her doctor told her that she could not do her driving lessons as driving had been something she was really excited about. She had just started taking her medication to control her epileptic seizures so she had to wait 2 more years until she could start her lessons.

However, despite all the disappointments in her life she still continues to fight that feeling. I think what her helps get through it is just talking to someone about it or writing her thoughts down. I suppose it's better to let your emotions out rather than bottling them up inside. You just have to think about everything you have and live your life the best way you can, because focusing on the negatives will only get you down. She is what inspires me to push myself and make the most of what I have.