Many people who have epilepsy experience dysphoric episodes. These episodes, which can last between a few hours and a few days, consist of depressive moods, irritability, lack of energy, pain, anxiety, insomnia, and euphoric moods .
Can epilepsy affect your personality?
Epilepsy can be accompanied by changes in cognition, personality, affect, and other elements of behavior . There is no single epileptic constitution or personality complex. A unifying theme to the behavior in epilepsy is diversity.
Do people with epilepsy suffer from low self esteem?
There is no evidence that epilepsy per se causes low self-esteem . However, recent research suggests that people with epilepsy sometimes have difficulty forming relationships with others, possibly due to neurological damage to the temporal lobe.
Does epilepsy affect thinking?
People with epilepsy commonly report having problems with their thinking and memory . Here’s a few examples of the problems people may report. Trouble remembering names that they once knew. Forgetting appointments or having trouble remembering when to take their medicines.
Do people with epilepsy suffer from depression?
People with epilepsy are more likely to develop depression and other mood disorders , even before they have their first seizure. This suggests that the changes in the brain that make a person susceptible to seizures also make them more susceptible to depression than the general population.
Does epilepsy worsen with age?
Age: Adults over the age of 60 may experience an increased risk for epileptic seizures , as well as related complications. Family history: Epilepsy is often genetic. If you have a family member who experienced epilepsy-related complications, then your own risk may be higher.
Why do I cry after a seizure?
When the tonic-clonic seizure begins, the person loses consciousness and may fall. Strong tonic spasms of the muscles can force air out of the lungs , resulting in a cry or moan, even though the person is not aware of their surroundings.
Does epilepsy shorten life span?
Reduction in life expectancy can be up to 2 years for people with a diagnosis of idiopathic/cryptogenic epilepsy, and the reduction can be up to 10 years in people with symptomatic epilepsy. Reductions in life expectancy are highest at the time of diagnosis and diminish with time.
Can epilepsy go away?
While many forms of epilepsy require lifelong treatment to control the seizures, for some people the seizures eventually go away . The odds of becoming seizure-free are not as good for adults or for children with severe epilepsy syndromes, but it is possible that seizures may decrease or even stop over time.
Is epilepsy a disability?
Epilepsy is one of the conditions listed in the Social Security Administration’s Blue Book, which means that if you meet the requirements in the Blue Book listing for epilepsy you may be able to get disability benefits.
Can a seizure cure depression?
Within 24 hours following a seizure, anxiety and depression improved, and average mood returned to approximately baseline levels by two weeks. On average, participants’ depression had improved significantly at four hours after the seizure, and anxiety had improved significantly at 12 hours after the seizure.
Do epileptics need more sleep?
REM sleep is important because it’s when your brain processes your emotions, files your memories and relieves your stress. Non-REM sleep (restorative sleep) is important for restoring normal brain functions. If you have seizures during sleep you will also have less deep non-REM sleep.
Does seizure cause brain damage?
Prolonged seizures are clearly capable of injuring the brain. Isolated, brief seizures are likely to cause negative changes in brain function and possibly loss of specific brain cells.
Does epilepsy make you age faster?
Persons with chronic epilepsy may be at increased risk of abnormal cognitive and brain aging because of an increased prevalence of vascular risk factors that may result at least in part from treatment with antiepilepsy drugs (AEDs).
What are good jobs for epileptics?
Safety-Sensitive Jobs & the Americans with Disabilities Act. People with epilepsy are successfully employed in a variety of jobs that might be considered high-risk: police officer, firefighter, welder, butcher, construction worker , etc.
