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Psychosocial Effects of Epilepsy
It is not enough to treat only the medical aspects of someone's seizure disorder. The psychosocial, emotional and physical components of one's life must all be considered as well.
Research shows that one's healthy psychosocial adjustment may be impaired by others being overprotective, rejecting, or having low expectations of a person with epilepsy. People with epilepsy can attain a high quality of life. For example, parents who know when to let their children have their own freedom, who accept and support their children as they are, and who encourage their children to have new experiences can greatly assist their children in attaining the skills which will help them to have fulfilling lives.
Stigma of Epilepsy
Research shows that the attitudes of others about epilepsy may have more impact on people than does epilepsy itself. Attitudes toward people with an invisible impairment, such as epilepsy, are generally less positive than towards those with a visible impairment. The social stigmas associated with epilepsy can be very detrimental to persons with epilepsy. Many are often very self-conscious about their appearance and it may be very difficult for them to deal with having even brief seizures in public. Many fear being viewed as "different."
How family and friends deal with the disorder, rather than the severity or frequency of seizures themselves, may determine how well one adapts to the disorder. Everyone needs to learn how to take reasonable risks. Facing fear and failure is a valuable learning experience necessary to grow and mature.
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