The public’s lack of understanding of what epilepsy is creates a challenge for people with epilepsy, especially if they choose not to tell anyone about them that they have it and then they have a seizure.
Many young people with epilepsy say they feel different from their peers and are afraid of being teased about having a seizure in front of friends.
Click on this link for information about how to tell friends and family about epilepsy.
Click on this link for information about how to deal with having a seizure in public.
Click on each of the play buttons if you want to hear people with epilepsy explain other people’s reactions to them and how they cope with that.
“I tell everyone about my epilepsy. Answering their questions, making sure they know the truth about epilepsy makes a big difference. I can see the change from ‘oooh you have epilepsy’ to it not being a big deal, it is just something I have.”
“Every single person in this world deals with something, whether it is physical, mental, financial, relational, emotional…. People deal with stuff every day. We just have to figure out the best way to deal with what we have.”
“People are afraid of epilepsy because they do not know much about it. If your friends are truly friends, they will stand by you and want to help. If you are comfortable with it, it’s good to talk about it with other people who also have epilepsy and can understand where you’re coming from.”