Adjusting to Epilepsy

Epilepsy is what you have, not what you are. You are not an epileptic. You are a person with epilepsy. Epilepsy is part of your life. It is not your whole life.

Other people may think that having epilepsy makes you different in some obvious way. But that's their mistake. Given the chance, you can probably live, work, and function in the world just as well as anyone else.

However, there are many areas of life in which having epilepsy can cause special difficulties. Knowing more about them may make it easier to cope.

If you have had epilepsy since childhood, you may be concerned about what it's going to mean to you as an adult. With the best of intentions, your parents may have protected you too well from the outside world. You may wonder now how you are going to make the change from being dependent on them to living on your own. Doing so may take some extra effort on your part.

If you have frequent seizures, you may feel you have to live at home. But there may be other living arrangements to help you live independently. To find out what's available in your area, check with your local Epilepsy Foundation (l-800-332-1000).

If you have recently developed epilepsy, you may wonder how much your plans for the future will have to be changed. Perhaps no changes will be required. Or perhaps you will have to re-think some of your plans, at least until your treatment has had a chance to work and your seizure control becomes stable.

How you feel

Adjusting to epilepsy may be difficult because of the way you feel about it.

First, you may go through a series of emotional reactions that people commonly have when they have to adapt to any medical disorder. Although not everyone has them, it is important for you to know that strong feelings can be a part of coping with epilepsy. For example, you may have experienced a sense of shock, followed by a feeling that the diagnosis cannot be true and that someone is making a mistake.

You may feel you cannot accept that you have this condition. You may deny it to yourself and others. When it finally becomes clear to you that you do indeed have epilepsy, you may feel angry. You may even have a sense of having lost something important to you.

Not everyone goes through these stages, but if you are someone who does, remember that they are usually temporary feelings. If they become a problem for you, it might be a good idea to talk to a counselor, especially someone who specializes in helping people cope with chronic conditions such as epilepsy. Although some people have a harder time than others, most find that they can accept the condition, learn to handle it, and get on with their lives.