[Info] Childhood Abuse and Epilepsy

[PhylisFeinerJohnson]

It looks like a seizure…it acts like a seizure…but is it epilepsy?

As recently as the 1980s, many doctors and scientists thought that by the time babies were born, the structure of their brains was already genetically determined. However, new research shows evidence of altered brain functioning as a result of early abuse and neglect. These changes are associated with adult anxiety, depression and personality disorders.

All types of abuse -- sexual, physical, and emotional (including verbal abuse and witnessing domestic violence) -- raise the risk of depression, anxiety and epilepsy-like symptoms.

Research featured in Harvard Mental Health Letter and published in The American Journal of Psychiatry looked at the damage that hostile words, and or yelling can have on a child. They found "words are weapons that can cause lasting wounds, especially when wielded by parents against children. The damage is sometimes more serious and lasting than injuries that result from beatings", say Harvard researchers reporting on a survey of young adults."

Basically, abuse releases a cascade of stress hormones which produces a lasting effect on brain signals. Experiments at McLean Hospital, for example, show that patients with a history of abuse are twice as likely to show abnormal electrical activity as non abused people. And this abnormal electrical brain activity, in turn, resembles a seizure state, but doesn’t actually produce epilepsy.

Hippocampal Sclerosis

This is a very common (but often unknown) feature of temporal lobe epilepsy. Changes in the hippocampus -- the part of the brain that deals with stress, learning and memory – can be caused by hormones flooding the brain during and after a stressful episode. But the BIG question is whether hippocampal sclerosis is the consequence of repeated seizures, or whether it plays a role in the development of the epileptic focus?


NESD -- Non Epileptic Seizure Disorder

A non-epileptic seizure is a short burst of activity that changes how you move, think, or feel. It looks like an epileptic seizure but there are no measurable electrical changes in the brain. Not surprisingly, many people have a history of sexual or physical abuse. 75% to 85% are women between the ages of 15 to 35. It’s a serious condition that shouldn’t be ignored. With early diagnosis and treatment, future problems can be averted.

Psychogenic Non Epileptic Seizures

These seizures are caused by psychological trauma or conflict that has a lasting effect on your state of mind. The Epilepsy Foundation explains that sexual or physical abuse is the leading cause of psychogenic seizures, where the abuse occurred during childhood.

A psychogenic seizure can be confused with a grand-mal seizure -- with convulsions, falling and shaking. Less often, a psychogenic seizure takes on the form of a complex partial seizure, with a temporary loss of attention. Because of the reasons for these psychogenic seizures, mental health counseling is encouraged. The prognosis is good, with 60 to 70 percent of patients alleviated of seizure symptoms.

“Children love and want to be loved and they very much prefer the joy of accomplishment to the triumph of hateful failure. Do not mistake a child for his symptom.” -- Erik Erikson

Resources:
http://www.leadershipcouncil.org/1/res/brain.html
http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/.../01-brain.html
http://www.lawandpsychiatry.com/html/hippocampus.htm
http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/...ull/122/6/1007
http://www.nospank.net/mkrjee.htm
http://www.schizophrenia.com/sznews/...es/005135.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/53...ptic-seizures/

[imwithcoco]

Very interesting and I do believe very true!

[Cinnabar]

A psychogenic seizure can be confused with a grand-mal seizure -- with convulsions, falling and shaking. Less often, a psychogenic seizure takes on the form of a complex partial seizure, with a temporary loss of attention. Because of the reasons for these psychogenic seizures, mental health counseling is encouraged. The prognosis is good, with 60 to 70 percent of patients alleviated of seizure symptoms.

Thanks, Phylis. Psychogenic seizures were brought up in an other thread which I was intending to explore but now you've saved me some time, giving me the general idea. Thanks for all that you had to share in Childhood Abuse and Epilepsy. I think a very good thread!

[mbcracken]

This is a great post and read.
I followed the livestrong link and a few googles later found this great concise brochure.
Turns out that I can not post links yet but try to put bits together...
http:
//professionals.epilepsy.com
/pdfs
/PNESbrochure.pdf

I'll be presenting this to my docs for opinion over the next couple weeks.

Cheers,
Mike

[seizingbeauty]

I spoke to my MD about this but it would seem that it is more important to treat the disorder than determine the cause. I asked if the seizures listed were the same as mine and he said that I had generalized seizure activity.
I know that I am missing large chunks of memory from my youth and from what I have been able to fill in I think I prefer it that way.

[PhylisFeinerJohnson]

You know Seizing Beauty, I tried to capture those "lost years" myself. And once some of them started coming back to haunt my memory, I decided they were "lost years" for a GOOD reason!

[CathyAnn31]

Very interesting read. I had a childhood form of epilepsy that I grew out of.

But it makes me really wonder. My mom and I have never been close, never had a bond ever. There was a lot of neglect and emotional abuse. I wonder if that childhood case could have stemmed from an incident I don't remember since I was only 3 or 4 when I was diagnosed..

Last year I was diagnosed with epilepsy after 2 tonic clonics. She thinks I brought all that on myself. I have epilepsy!!!! Accept it!!!!!

I wonder if she feels blame for something that may have happened to me as a child and it makes her feel better to blame it all on me instead. Hmmm..

Its a very sad situation.

I cut that toxic woman out of my life. Unfortunately my husband still stays in contact with her despite what I say.

Black sheep of the family, over and out.

[CathyAnn31]

whoopss misread the whole dang article...lmao...maybe it is faux-epilepsy, who knows..

[PhylisFeinerJohnson]

It doesn't sound like faux epilepsy. I also had epilepsy for 20 years and "grew out of it" until 22 years later I almost died from a seizure. (coma, life support, the whole deal...) But I think the last seiure was from a drug interaction or reaction. Who knows? But it sure wasn't "faux."

[JRuner]

Thanks for all this great information, I new about sexual abuse link to seizures but not verbal. I was inundated with all three forms of abuse so it makes sense. Having childhood Epilepsy was just another stupid thing my poor brain had to deal with (like be bullied constantly about my birth defect wasn't enough). I know I don't "fake" it but sense my Grandmother (verbal Abuser) faked Petit Mals and did not have Epilepsy my parents think I just want attention. They also told me it was my possibly fault that I was sexually abused by a relative though!

John

[Crystalblue]

They also told me it was my possibly fault that I was sexually abused by a relative though!

John

John, that is an extremely common thing for family members and/or perpatrators to say. Just, please, don't ever believe it.
-From someone who's been there.

[JRuner]

I don't believe idiotic statements like that and I don't believe they kept letting my abuser come to dinner off and on after they new. I mean he assaulted and strangled me on multiple occasions! It's his fault that he's an evil a ho, NOT MINE! I worked on forgiving for years but forgetting is harder hence PTSD. When confronted the abuser said he felt sorry for me because I was weak with a birth defect no friends because of my seizures so he had to hang out with me! Oh then he strangled my sister but she denies it even though I followed them to the basement and saw it.

Sorry this brings out my non Christian anger.

John

[stilldancing_98]

This makes so much more sense now. My ex husband does not remember chunks of his childhood and was violent to me. And my son saw it. One time. Thank the Lord there is a lot of love in our house and a lot of memory in his brain. We all have issues.

[Shelley]

I remember very little from my childhood because of verbal abuse. I will not talk to one of my sisters even today, because she was a verbal abuse bully.
I was always taunted and teased as a kid. It is still hard when I remember how miserable I was for no good reason.
I feel that such abuse did me more harm than good. My parents denied my epilepsy and verbal abuse to my face, Yet I remember my mom telling an adult that my uncle was dating that I had petit mal. Also, everybody else knew, they just thought I was too retarded to understand. In fact, my mom tried to talk to me slowly and in baby talk, because she thought I was retarded.
My parents are gone now, but my younger bullying sister is still alive, she just won't accept the fact that I am a decent, intelligent human being. (Screw her)