Epilepsy

So Who, What is Normal

Speaking as an epileptic to all people with or living with epileptics normal is
considered what is socially

and culturally acceptable but, social and cultural will change normal thus altering
the concerns of

cognitive social psychology. !STRANGE AH if you were born with epilepsy you are
'normal' you just have

fits, simple enough ah but, if you have had a bad hit to the head you probably will
end up having

epilepsy because of brain trauma. It is from this that (from experience and a degree
course in

psychology I speak) I can say, epilepsy is not your (there) problem it is cognition.
Because of the brain

damage the cognition (thinking processing response time) causes you/them to

appear to be not 'normal'

thus although they/you may physically be appealable a patronization comes in

between them/you and

the 'partner' and 'we' become unlovable as people. We are viewed as ohh or ahh or
poor thing not come

here i want you now? This dilemma can be further complicated if you end up on
sticks/wheelchairs.

Phenomenological psychology at face value can be a most beneficial for

understanding and/or revealing

an individuals "self" through its uninterrupted methodology through the use of Free
Association

Narrative Interviewing (FANI) to establish a subjects "self". This is where there is a

difference basically it

is all about and quite simply means, 'talk to them/us, give them/us time to process
what has been said

and to think of a reply. You will be very surprised at how clever people actually are
and--how

sexy/lovable. WHAT? Simple really, as Socrates once implied 'why should society
follow each other like

sheep. We all have an opinion and a brain to process our thoughts. Why then should
we accept
'normal/fashionable' simply because the majority says it is. Equally, Normal is based
on a majority rule

so who is right and even if normal (majority of) has an opinion why cant we
challenge it and say 'your

wrong?. I have a different life style to you. Am i wrong or are you, should the
answer be based on a

survey of 'majority rule (what’s normal) or should we accept that we are both right
and then look for a

common ground that we can both agree to be normal. Why should we be alienated
because we need

sticks/wheelchairs and have fits.

Learning how to cope with epilepsy

Self consciousness, it has long been considered that this is innate it would follow
therefore that

attitudes accompany our innate self consciousness due to our automated behavior
to a situation. For

example, at maturity we look to the opposite gender! Generally speaking this drive
is both innate and an

attitude based upon the implementation of monogamous grooming from parents,

media and society.

Religion with its implications that "self' is our soul is questionable based on our
religious in doctoring

and the society we live in yet can also be used to create attitudes.

‘What’s this to do with epilepsy’?

In modernistic terms it is argued that self consciousness, attitudes and our innate
self is dualistic, that is

to say they are one of the same. It is as important though to accept that due to an
attitude (triggers for

seizures) we all have behavioral responses, some good some bad and these can
lead us to have an

emotional deficit. To fit into our society we have to learn how to behave, “alter your
attitude”! In doing

this it can take people out of there comfort zones leaving them uncomfortable,
nervous or even
vulnerable and more prone to fits.

Attitudes and self consciousness are innate/ media and society based constraints
that are imposed upon

individuals as they grow and develop from child hood through adolescence into
adulthood where, the

link’s and chains of opinions are enforced upon the next generation. This is why it is
vital that we and

our nearest and dearest understand and give us a wide birth.

A prime example of this can be seen in the modem child of today, there are few
who are aware of the

constraints of familiarity and or respect to there elders. This "mind set" is a

complete change from thirty

years ago clearly indicating that "attitudes" towards teaching respect (to create an
attitude) has

changed. It is apparent that, in this instance child rearing is not innate, it has to be
taught but, when a

child is in danger it is a self conscious innate response to protect it. So, it is that
same attitude that we all

need to adopt to ease the pressures on both the epileptic and the family/friends.

I introduced this article by referring to attitudes/ triggers and how they accompany
our innate self

consciousness due to our automated behavior to a situation. Hence, the starting

point for this topical

research is as old as researchable recorded history, from the mass attitudinal

hysteria towards the Jews

before the Second World War to the good will drive to save the planet. These are all
attitudes which

when reaching a point of hysteria can affect self consciousness and can become an
inherent attribute

for the innate self “US” AND OUR SELF CONFIDANCE, (I wont go out just in case---).

The concept of Social psychology of self could be summed up by Solomon Asch

(1956) where his studies

into "normal" (what is socially and culturally acceptable) groups, there social
influence and places they
are at will result in being a type of conformity. This however is a resulting opinion of
a minority (us!) not

a majority and therefore over looks the individual. It is this attitude that affects self
consciousness and is

the frustrating difficulty, helping people to help us help ourselves?

As "We" the human race come from many differences cultures a starting point for
this researchable

history into attitudes and self consciousness is through the eyes of religion- self-soul
and the inherent

parental/ cultural dis/approval of behavior. Is society to be held accountable for

these behavioral

attitudes or society for en doctoring the youth. Either way both are based on a
common ground/need,

that being cohesion based upon a fear factor. Contrary to this social influence on
behavior and to re

enforce the point raised earlier With regards to the frustrating difficulty in
researching social psychology

of self we have a strange species called the individual/non conformist. (An example
of such was

reviewed by us in the mirror) In a drive to research self and attitude "Unfolding

discourse analysis" in

post modernism has been researched by (McGuire, 1985, p. 239) raising the
concept that "attitudes are

locating objects of thought on dimensions of judgment and placing it in a hierarchy

(phenomenological

narratives). Equally Potter and Wetherell in there research are more interested in
how people talk

(cognitive processes). This turn to language research though is seen as a model of

contained, rational

and stable individual processes. For now, in short phenomenological narratives are
pictorial

descriptions, used as a method to converse with 'society', this method is used

unconsciously due to

hemispheric damage (a side of the brain). For epileptics who acquired this
disadvantage the cognitive
processes such as memory recall are not as reliable so ‘we’ make use of pictorial.
This is partially why

'we' are all different, that and the fact that the pills we have to take change our
personality. Cognitive

and behavioral disorders often overshadow seizures and can be the greatest cause
of impaired quality of

life. People with epilepsy may have cognitive impairments, which effect attention,
memory, mental

speed, and language, as well as executive and social functions. Furthermore, these
problems often go

unrecognized and, even when identified, are often under treated or untreated. In
this section you can

see in greater detail the cognitive and behavioral disorders associated with
epilepsy. The information is

divided into two sections:

Mood and Behavior ; gives a basic overview of mood and behavioral disorders
associated with

epilepsy. Advanced Mood & Behavior, provides a more in depth, intermediate level
of information

regarding mood & behavior disorders associated with epilepsy.

Mood and Behavior

Epilepsy and its treatment affect the way that some people with this disorder think
and behave. While a

seizure is happening, it interferes with thinking. If seizures happen over and over
again (as they

sometimes do), they can have a lasting effect on many of the brain's functions,
from memory and

language to planning and reasoning. It's possible that epilepsy may change how
you relate to others,

your mood, even your personality. But most people with epilepsy find that it has the
effect on their

behavior.

Do any of these sound like you?

"I just don't trust my short-term memory. "

"I knew the word I wanted to say, but I couldn't get it out. Or I'd say another word
that wasn't quite

right. "

"I am more irritable now; everything is an effort."

"I'd finish watching a show, and somebody would ask me what it was about, and I
couldn't answer

them. I didn't know, and I just watched it!"

Not only can seizures and epilepsy affect how you react to the world, but they also
can affect how the

world reacts to you. Many people don't know what to do when they see a seizure.
Some can't

understand that a person who looks pretty normal may not understand a single
word being said. The

workplace can bring new challenges, and some people with epilepsy have to find
other jobs because of

their seizures.

Advanced Mood and Behavior

Neurobehavioral disorders including fatigue, depression, anxiety, and psychosis
commonly affect

patients with epilepsy. In addition to neurobehavioral disorders, patients with

epilepsy may present

with cognitive impairments, which effect attention, memory, mental speed, and
language, as well as

executive and social functions. Cognitive and behavioral disorders often

overshadow the seizures

themselves and can be the greatest cause of impaired quality of life. Furthermore,
these problems often

go unrecognized and, even when identified, are often under treated or untreated.
Patients with epilepsy

frequently suffer from cognitive and behavioral disorders that range from subtle to
severe. Behavior

changes occur during and immediately after most seizures. However, in some
cases, cognition and

behavior also change for prolonged periods after individual seizures or throughout
the long interacted
gaps. Aggressive control of seizures, and possibly reduction of interacted epilepsy
activity’s may help

prevent interacted cognitive and behavioral disorders. The late 19th century view of
epilepsy as a

progressive disorder-in terms of both seizures and cognitive-behavioral disorders-is

finding support from

modern studies (1). While the best therapy for cognitive and behavioral disorders
may be prevention,

there is little systematic study of the phenomenon either retrospectively or

prospectively .

A less pleasant but equally as informative fact with epilepsy is;

Epilepsy has long been recognized and invoked as a significant ingredient in the
mechanism of sudden

unexpected death, particularly in the setting of status seizures, trauma, drowning's

and aspiration of

gastric content However, a wider appreciation that epilepsy per se may be a major
cause of, rather than

contributory factor to death, is a relatively recent concept which may not be widely
comprehended or

accepted by the community at large, epileptic patients and their physicians, and
perhaps some

pathologists. Since these cases present as sudden, unexpected and often

unexplained death, they will

fall under the jurisdiction of the coroner, and in most circumstances require
specialist forensic

pathological investigation.

Like that other acronym SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), the term SUDEP
(sudden unexpected

death-) hints at a relatively stereotypical series of circumstances allied to an

unascertained cause of

death; but unlike SIDS (or perhaps the more controversial SADS (sudden adult
death syndrome)), the

field of potential causative mechanisms appears narrower and is arguably better

delineated, holding the

promise of effective intervention strategies.

Much research over the past few years has pointed to complex cerebral and cardio
respiratory factors,

which individually or in concert may result in death during or shortly after a seizure.
If the task of

clinicians is to predict and intervene, the role of the forensic pathologist and
coroner might best be seen

as recognition and comprehensive investigation so that the true incidence (at

various points in time) is

documented, and effective multidisciplinary remedies implemented. A vital first

step along this path is

uniformity of approach, but many factors need to be addressed before this

pathological nirvana is

attained, some of which may be subject to considerable regional and situational

constraints.

This last section of course is by no means a Chrystal ball view of our future just an
awareness of possible

events which, we and our attitudes can alter (a bit like should we stop smoking?).

To close the article on a positive note;

Society in general is not an alien species as they may appear? The main driving
force of there ‘attitudes’

towards epileptics is (believe it or not, fear and ignorance) the ‘not knowing what to
do or how to

behave. ‘IF’ like most things in life people are given the tools to deal with a given
situation then ‘normal’

for one would be the same for the other thus all would be treated the same. Sadly
though we don’t live

in Utopia where equality and normal are –well-normal everyday situations so, is it
not down to each of

us to pass on the tools, I hope in some small way I have at least given you the
reader a ‘starter kit’. Just

remember that ‘we’ the chosen few, the selected above others, the elite of
society have the

edge over them, we know what its like and can rise above them and there
attitudes. How,
simple because we have the knowledge there frightened of so stand proud??