Coping with Epilepsy

Epilepsy is not a mental illness. It is a disorder of brain function. However, because the brain controls everything else, sudden changes in the brain that result in a seizure may also affect reactions, moods, and other brain functions in subtle ways.

The following effects are not experienced by everyone who has epilepsy. They are discussed here so that you may be better able to cope with them if they occur.

Depression

For reasons that are not fully understood, people who have epilepsy seem to be at a higher risk of depression than other people. Of course, everyone gets sad moods at times when things in their lives are not going well. But feeling depressed or sad all the time may be part of a more serious problem.

Signs of serious depression include: feeling tired all the time; feeling dispirited, as if nothing is worth the trouble; loss of interest in things you used to enjoy; thoughts of suicide or having trouble sleeping, especially waking up early and not being able to get back to sleep; being unable to concentrate on or finish a task; unexpected change in appetite or weight.

If you sense this happening to you, get help early. Tell your doctor. It's possible that the medicine you're taking to prevent seizures is part of the problem. Sometimes a change in medicine will help. Another way of dealing with these feelings is to get involved with a self-help group at your local Epilepsy Foundation, or become a volunteer.

You may originally join a group to meet others who have shared your experiences. However, as time goes on you may see that your contribution to such a group is valuable to others. It's also a good idea to talk to your doctor about getting counseling or other treatment.

Depression can be a serious problem. Unless it's recognized and treated successfully, it can end up as a bigger barrier to normal living than epilepsy itself. In severe cases, it can even lead to suicide attempts.

Mood changes

Sometimes people who have epilepsy experience a different kind of emotional change, perhaps caused by a brief seizure in the part of the brain that controls emotions, or by the epilepsy drug being taken.

Suddenly, for no apparent reason, a person may have feelings of fear, irritability, anger, sadness, or just a sense of apprehension and foreboding. If these changes are directly related to seizures, they may occur just before a major seizure. Sometimes just the feeling itself appears and then goes away.

If mood changes are related to the medication, they may happen around the time you take it, or you may just feel your mood is affected all the time. If you experience these kinds of mood changes, tell your doctor. Sometimes just a simple change or adjustment in medicine can make all the difference. However, not all mood changes are due to epilepsy. Sometimes, mood changes are a type of reaction to stress.

Memory

Many people with epilepsy say they have difficulty remembering things that happened recently, or remembering a sequence of actions or events.

It may be due to the condition itself. It may be linked to the medicine you're taking, or you may have seizure activity in the part of your brain that handles memory or attention.

If you have problems with memory, you should first check with your doctor to see if there's anything he or she thinks can be done about it. You may be referred to a memory specialist, also known as a neuropsychologist. Secondly, you can work out some strategies to help you better cope with the problem.

Following are some ways to help your memory:

• Make lists of things you want to do each day. Get used to jotting things down as they occur to you.
• Have paper and pencil near the phone so you can write down who calls and whether there is anything you have agreed to do as the result of the conversation.
• Keep a large calendar. Fill in appointments and planned activities as you make them.
• Take notes at work. Lots of people do. You don't have to explain. You'll just look efficient and well organized.
• Count out medicine ahead of time and separate each day's dose so you don't forget whether you've taken it. You can buy inexpensive pill holders at the drug store to help you organize the pills. Watches with built in alarms to remind you to take the medication may also be helpful. It may also be helpful to link pill taking to other daily activities, such as brushing your teeth.
• If someone is showing you how to do something new at work (or at home), make quick written notes on all the steps involved. Then you'll have something to refer to if you forget the sequence when you go to do it yourself.

Another way of helping your memory is to carry a small tape recorder with you and record things you want to remember.