“Too often doctors and even counselors get caught up with the parents’ concerns about their child’s epilepsy and the child’s own concerns about his seizures. We forget the brothers and sisters. Epilepsy is a family problem. It touches everybody. It’s important to let brothers and sisters express their concerns. It’s important to help them to ask questions that they can’t articulate easily. In our experience virtually every brother or sister has fears, misunderstandings, and resentments. It’s imperative that they talk about them and be part of the family’s acceptance of epilepsy.”When it was time to discontinue medication, Jeb was the one who was allowed to make the final decision. It was discussed with him and his mom. He went home to think about it and discuss it with the family. Even at seven, he understood that there was a risk of having more seizures and that he might have to restart medicine. I strongly believe that it is important to be honest with people, especially with children.”When he was scheduled to come back and tell us his decision, I was out of town, so Jeb changed his appointment because he wanted me to be there, too. He said that I was a part of all of this, and he wanted me to hear his decision.”I guess the important thing I want people to understand about counseling is that it is not a routine thing. It has to be individualized for each child, for each adult, for each family, and for each problem. Education about epilepsy underlies much of it, but understanding kids and family dynamics is probably the largest part. There is also a large element of common sense.”*230\208\8*

Also part of the mythology, many people still believe that epilepsy and seizures are always devastating, that they will continue to recur, that they will get worse, that the brain will be damaged, and that their child might be handicapped, become retarded, or even die. Now we know that only a small percentage of children who have a single seizure have a second seizure and, therefore, do not have epilepsy. We now know that most seizures in children can be controlled with medication, that most children outgrow their seizures and can be taken off medication. Only a minority of children with epilepsy will have difficult-to-control seizures. Most children with seizures are absolutely normal all or virtually all of the time, except during the seizure.
The mythology still persists because epilepsy remains a hidden condition. People see only the small percentage of children who are severely handicapped and who have seizures. The vast majority, whose seizures are well controlled and who function normally, do not advertise that they have epilepsy. If your neighbor’s child has seizures, is on medication and is doing well, you may never even know that he has epilepsy. Only if that child has a seizure when his friends are around do they become aware of his epilepsy. His friends’ parents may say, “I never knew he had epilepsy. He looks so normal!” “I thought that all children with epilepsy are retarded.” “The only child I knew with seizures was in a wheelchair and never went to school.” If we want to combat these old myths and prejudices, children with epilepsy and their families have to be far more comfortable and open about their disorder. Only then will the public understand that most people with epilepsy are just like themselves. Seeing only children who are disabled, you get the wrong impression. You may have no idea that most children who have epilepsy encounter no problem as a result of their seizures.
You can handicap your child if you continue to believe in the mythology. Most individuals with epilepsy can function normally, becoming exuberant children, vigorous adolescents, and productive adults who are free of seizures altogether. You will have to learn what protections are reasonable and realistic, and which restrictions will simply handicap your child. Avoiding overprotection will require that you understand not only seizures, but also your reaction to them, your child’s reaction, and the reactions of others. You need to work actively to prevent seizures from becoming a handicap. In most cases, you can succeed.
*3\208\8*

Occasionally the shivering associated with high fever, particularly frequent in infections of the urinary tract, may be confused with a convulsion.

Night terrors-These episodes are common in children between the ages of 5 and 10 years and frequently worry parents. Typically a child who has been in bed, asleep for 1-3 hours will waken suddenly, screaming. The child will be sitting up in bed, wide-eyed and unresponsive; they cannot be comforted. Within a minute or so, the child will lie down, turn over, and go back to sleep. There is no memory or recollection of the event the next morning. Reassurance (of the parents) is all that is required.

Rage attacks/outbursts of temper-Bizarre, semi-purposeful behaviour and confusion may rarely be part of a complex partial seizure arising from a temporal lobe. However, violent behaviour or uncontrolled rage are almost never a type of epileptic seizure. They are usually provoked by someone or something, even though the cause may be trivial.

*43\188\2*

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