How does having epilepsy affect you?

[PhylisFeinerJohnson]

In one study, participants anticipated that their self-perceptions and self-esteem would be more positive if they didn’t have epilepsy.

Self-perception turned out to be one of the most important predictors of successful social relationships in people with epilepsy — even more important than seizure frequency, severity, or other medical factors!

What is most important to you?

[Endless]

I'm not sure I understand the question?

What's most important to me in general is to be able to function, seizure free. I want to be able to think, take care of my life on my own, not suffer from seizures, not suffer from brain damage, and not be doped up or changed up by meds. Maybe that's asking for a lot, but that's what's most important to me.

[Bernard]

... What is most important to you?

Conan, what is best in life? - YouTube

Conan, what is best in life? - YouTube

Sorry... I couldn't resist...

On a slightly more serious note:

On self esteem and perspective

[valeriedl]

I really haven't lost any self esteem because of the eplispey. The way I look at it is that I get happy when I find that I can now do things that I may not have been able to do a few years back.

My family wouldn't let me out of their sight when we would go places because I could have a seziure at any time. I still could have one at any time, but then I was having maybe 5 a week, where as now I might have 3 a month. I feel like I have a little more freedom now.

At first my memory was horrible, I was lucky if I could remember things that may have happened only a few days ago. Now my memory is much better, but things that might have happened months ago start slipping away. I find myself remembering things that have happened in the last few years, not much but some stays. I get excited about this.

I keep a diary of things that go on so I can remember them and little notes of what happened that I want to make sure that I don't forget. Sometimes when I'll go back and read it I'll remember the event and sometimes I won't.

Almost everything from about 10 years before I got epliepsy was gone. I love to talk with friends and find out all the goofy things that I'd done. I sit there and laugh with them.

I've always been a positive person in general, it takes alot to get me down. I have much less seizures now than when I first was diagnosed with epilepsy 7 years ago. I've never really been depressed about any of it. I know that my family was. I don't know if it was just because of the fact that I didn't know what was happening to me or what.

[huskymom]

The most important thing to me is that I manage to wake up alive each morning

Also, LOVED the Conan video! No wonder that film is one you can watch over and over again and just enjoy laughing

[BuckeyeFan]

Mine is better than it used to be. My worst times have been when it seriously interfered with my work. Not bragging, but I am fairly intelligent and when my side affects like inability to concentrate get bad, I know they are hurting me in my career. At least I have rather tolerant bosses who recognize my value even if my work is sometimes delayed.

On a relationship/family level I feel pretty good about myself.

[Aubrey]

You guys are so much more well-adjusted than I am. I have flare-ups of frustration that I cannot go shopping by myself. I feel like at least somebody everywhere I am on a regular basis should know that I have seizures because, though it is rare, I want someone to know that the last thing I want is to be hauled off in an ambulance - I hate that. And, after having spent a couple of years being rather isolated from large groups due to losing my job on account of my seizures, when I returned to school I discovered to my surprise that I had developed a lovely anxiety-reaction to speaking in public, quite a turn-around from someone who deliberately took debate classes and worked in public service. I didn't see that coming. So, yeah, epilepsy, has interacted with my self-esteem and not for the better, but most people have some sort of problem that is unique to them that they have to deal with, whether it is obvious or not.