Has anyone ever succeeded in stopping an imminent seizure from coming on?

[John-Forrest]

I'm just curious if anyone has found this possible. I read this heartening book "Epilepsy: A New Approach" which says the author spoke to persons who managed to do this. (Such as just tell it to back off or something.)

I'd be curious to know if anyone has managed to do this and what techniques they used.

[TeeTees]

I'm just curious if anyone has found this possible. I read this heartening book "Epilepsy: A New Approach" which says the author spoke to persons who managed to do this. (Such as just tell it to back off or something.)

I'd be curious to know if anyone has managed to do this and what techniques they used.

I have managed to do it on occasions, but not ALL the time. It's basically dependant whether my mind is strong enough, and focused enough to be able to 'over-power' the seizure to come (as this would be done during an aura).

If my mind is UP to it, I can focus my mind elsewhere and help myself overcome the seizure. It's kinda like telling it NO ....like talking to a naughty child.

I'm currently reading the same book, as I'm intrigued to find out the techniques and beliefs that these people have discovered. At the moment, I'm around page 80 and finding the book absolutely fascinating.....in a strange way, it seems to be telling me alot about what I have already believed in...self-help.

So yeah, with alot more practice and inner strength, and providing you have aura's, I'm pretty sure you can at least 'sidetrack' the seizure if not avoid it altogether.

The mind is a very powerful tool, and providing you use it correctly I believe you can pretty much achieve/do anything.

[Yves]

HI,

Look for the nearest Gigong club (or Tai chi chuan). By learning to feel your inner body energy (Qi), you'll learn to move it around your body.
I actually move it to my arms (I tried with the legs but it's more difficult). I know its sounds crazy but it works!!!
Basically, I powered down what going on in my head by transfering the "Qi" to the most distant part of my body away from the brain.
I have SSPS (sensory simple partial seizures). I 'd bet it could work with other kinds (I read there was no less than 35 types of epilepsys so...) but I know nobody who dares to try.Of course you need practice.
That's also one of the reason why I am going to work for a non profit organisation to try to broacast the technique to people like myself (brain tumor causing epilepsy).
I seems to me that EEG neurofeedback is somehow connected with that
. That's why I want to try this method .
Take care

[RobinN]

John - Zoe tells me she has been able to do this.

I read the same book, and I also find it fascinating. However, I now have asked my darling teen to make her way through the book, and to answer the questions. Only she can decide whether or not she will be willing to put it into action.

I think it is great to get the discussion going as to how, when and where.

Yves - It sounds convincing. Yoga also has a form of that, where they work on the energy of the body. Fascinating...

[stringbean]

I guess it depends for me, I can't seem to be able to stop them myself, I just get paranoid when alone and that can just make it worse, now when my husband is home and he knows I am going into one he is the only one that can help me keep it from getting any worse,
however, most of the time they run their course anyway.

[John-Forrest]

I do find that stretching and yoga seems to do me good when I'm having my nocturnal panic attacks (i.e., waking up about an hour after going to bed with sweaty palms and rapidly pounding heartbeat). I am currently going through one of my "complex partial cluster" phases (which haunt me every once in a while; otherwise I'm fine). There may be something to Tai Chi, engaging one's psychic energy elsewhere. I always have this intuitive sense that if I can focus my energy on, say, my left big toe, thus avoiding getting sucked into the thing, that might be a way around that.

Perhaps those ancient orientals knew something Western medicine tends to overlook. It may have been invented as a way of coping with the spells. It would certainly be interesting to investigate.

Along that line, a Zen Buddhist Master told me my experiences sound "like enlightenment" to him.

[speber]

I've staved off potential seizures with music...both playing music and listening to music.

I have very little 'aura' time, but if feel strange, out-of-sorts, dizzy, confused, a sense of vertigo....I attempt music. It helps redirect my brain's attention (apparently) in a positive direction and ultimately gets me back on track.

This does NOT always work however!....and my experience suggests the brain could become desensitized to the 'goto' tunes that previously worked.

I am researching as to why this occurs. I would love to determine if commonalities could be pin-pointed within these and other tunes to keep the brain 'interested'.

Peace

[epileric]

I've stopped seizures by being aware of my breath & not allowing myself to hyperventilate.

I've also stopped them by using varioius acupressure points.

[RobinN]

What about redirecting the brain to function in areas that you wouldn't normally consider. Say if you are more of the logical thinker, what about trying to do something creative. Or if you are the creative type, maybe a sudoku or crossword puzzle.

Any body try this?

[speber]

Left-brain vs. right brain approach.......I like it!

I'm curious if anyone has used this one myself!


UPDATE:
To anyone who HAS been able to positively administer this apprroach....what is your particular form of epilepsy?....if you don't mind!

[RobinN]

I remember reading in LIFE magazine years ago about elderly people that live with clear brain functioning longer than others, and this was what they believed to be working for them.... daily. What they pointed out was that even then new neurons were forming.

Stroke victims were taught this approach and they were able to basically rewire the pathways. Seems damaged areas, or kindling could be rerouted by using those areas that are left "in the dark".

Just an idea.
Wonder how I could find that article. It really made an impression on me.
So...
I remember being able to stop migraines by sitting down and teaching myself how to play the piano. I would get up and realize that I no longer had the twisting in my head.

I think I will go see if I can turn the one I have right now around... Good thinking, Spencer.

[John-Forrest]

I see where you are going with this. I am pretty certain my foci point is in my right temporal lobe (ringing in right ear). I tend to lean toward creative myself, so I have hunch it would be good to attempt some meticulous mental logic gymnastics (such as counting bacwards from 100) in the left brain. Will let you know if it works. Also: using right side of body engages left brain (or vice-versa).

[epileric]

A neurologist once told me to count backwards by 2's starting at 99. It hasn't stopped a seizure. but it sometimes lessens its' intensity. It also seems to make the post-ictal phase less severe, even if the seizure feels pretty intense.

[speber]

A neurologist once told me to count backwards by 2's starting at 99. It hasn't stopped a seizure. but it sometimes lessens its' intensity. It also seems to make the post-ictal phase less severe, even if the seizure feels pretty intense.

That's gotta account for something don't you think?

[epileric]

That's gotta account for something don't you think?

Most definitely, I wasn't complaining but the subject of the thread referred to stopping a seizure.

[speber]

....I just felt your input was a most worthy topic very closely related to the main subject.

I did not wish to take the thread into another direction...it simply felt it was noteworthy!

I had mentioned before I have been able to stop seizures SOMETIMES....but I will definitely take a REDUCTION in their negative impact if I can't COMPLETELY stop them!

Peace

[epileric]

Thanks Speber, I appreciate your support.

I'll definitely get back to you if I can find a way to STOP them

[John-Forrest]

I would like to take this in a different direction. Is there anyone who can deliberately cause a seizure by sheer will power? I know this is not what one would normally do, but I'm thinking in terms of what if experimenters wanted to observe your EEG while you were having a seizure - or you wanted to demonstrate to the Social Secuiry Board you indeed have a problem (so you can get SSDI).

I have a hunch if one can learn to CAUSE a seizure, this would also enable one to STOP a seizure. Might be an interesting experiment.

[brain]

I'm just curious if anyone has found this possible. I read this heartening book "Epilepsy: A New Approach" which says the author spoke to persons who managed to do this. (Such as just tell it to back off or something.)

I'd be curious to know if anyone has managed to do this and what techniques they used.

The only thing the Doctors tell me is "Go to Sleep!"
Since I'm on Clonazepam (Klonopin), I can't take
Ativan, but if I'm not on Clonazepam/Klonopin then
they would tell me to take one.

In the past I could have many auras and not one
freaking seizure. Then I would get one aura and
be floored. Go figure!

[speber]

I would like to take this in a different direction. Is there anyone who can deliberately cause a seizure by sheer will power? I know this is not what one would normally do, but I'm thinking in terms of what if experimenters wanted to observe your EEG while you were having a seizure - or you wanted to demonstrate to the Social Secuiry Board you indeed have a problem (so you can get SSDI).

I have a hunch if one can learn to CAUSE a seizure, this would also enable one to STOP a seizure. Might be an interesting experiment.

I would say yes. If nothing else, there is probably a million ways to lower your seizure threshold.
On the other hand, if you were in perfect health otherwise, and did nothing to lower your seizure threshold (like getting off your meds or sleep deprevation)...you would have a harder time of it....

....however, I think you STILL could mentally talk yourself into it. The feeling I have here though is that IF you do this powerful feat of concentration and obsession towards HAVING a seizure....you might get the MOTHER OF ALL SEIZURES and not survive!

Put that same effort into NOT having seizures!