I came across this desription of epilepsy on the NYU site. It was interesting to see the current conventional view and that the disorder is not now viewed as being lifelong and that children often outgrow it. No copyright on it so assume it is safe to share it here with a link to their site:
Modern Facts About Epilepsy
Epilepsy has afflicted human beings since the dawn of our species and has been recognized since the earliest medical writings. We now understand that epilepsy is a common disorder resulting from seizures that cause temporary impairment of brain function. Few medical conditions have attracted so much attention and generated so much controversy. Throughout history, people with epilepsy, as well as their families, have suffered unfairly because of the ignorance of others. Fortunately, the stigma and fear generated by the words "seizures" and "epilepsy" have progressively diminished during the past century, and the majority of people with epilepsy now lead normal lives.
The Greek physician Hippocrates wrote the first book on epilepsy, titled On the Sacred Disease, around 400. Hippocrates recognized that epilepsy was a brain disorder, and he refuted the ideas that seizures were a curse from the gods and that people with epilepsy held prophetic powers. False ideas die slowly, though, and for centuries epilepsy was considered a curse of the gods, or worse. For example, in a handbook on witch-hunting, Malleus Maleficarum, written by two Dominican friars under papal authority in 1494, witches were identified by the presence of certain characteristics, including seizures. The Malleus brought about a wave of persecution and torture and led to more than 200,000 women being put to death. In the early 19th century, people who had severe epilepsy and people with psychiatric disorders were cared for in asylums, but the two groups were separated because seizures were thought to be "contagious.''
The modern medical era of epilepsy began in the mid-19th century, under the leadership of three English neurologists: Russell Reynolds, John Hughlings Jackson, and Sir William Richard Gowers. Still standing today is Hughlings Jackson's definition of a seizure as "an occasional, an excessive, and a disorderly discharge of nerve tissue on muscles.'' Hughlings Jackson also recognized that seizures could alter consciousness, sensation, and behavior.
The past century has brought an explosion of knowledge about the functions of the brain and about epilepsy. Research in epilepsy continues at a vigorous pace, with investigations ranging from how microscopic particles in the cell trigger seizures, to the development of new antiepileptic drugs, and to a better understanding of how epilepsy affects social and intellectual development.
People with Epilepsy Are Not "Epileptics''
The word "epileptic'' should not be used to describe someone who has epilepsy, as it defines a person by one trait. A label is powerful and can create a limiting and negative stereotype. It is better to refer to someone as "a person with epilepsy'' or to a group of people as "people with epilepsy.''
People with Epilepsy Are Not Necessarily Brain Damaged
Epilepsy is a disorder of brain function that may or may not be associated with damage to brain structures. Temporarily disturbed brain function can also occur with extreme fatigue; with the use of sleeping pills, sedatives, or general anesthesia; or with high fever or serious illness. "Brain damage'' implies that something is permanently wrong with the brain's structure. It may occur with head trauma, cerebral palsy, or stroke. Injuries to the brain are the cause of seizures in some, but by no means all, persons with epilepsy. Brain injuries range from undetectable to disabling. Although brain cells cannot regenerate, most people make substantial recoveries after brain injuries. Brain damage, like epilepsy, carries a stigma, and some people may unjustly consider brain-injured patients "incompetent.''
People with Epilepsy Usually Are Not Retarded
Many people mistakenly believe that people with epilepsy are also mentally retarded. In the large majority of cases, this is not true. Like any other group of people, people with epilepsy have different intellectual abilities. Some are brilliant and some score below average on intelligence tests, but most are somewhere in the middle. The majority of people with epilepsy have normal intelligence and lead productive lives. In some people, however, epilepsy is associated with brain injuries that cause neurological impairments, including mental retardation. With only very rare exceptions, seizures do not cause mental retardation.
People with Epilepsy Are Not Violent or Crazy
The belief that people with epilepsy are violent is an unfortunate image that is both wrong and destructive. The vast majority of people with epilepsy have no greater tendency toward irritability and aggressive behaviors than do other people in the general population. Many features of seizures and their immediate aftereffects can be easily misunderstood as "crazy'' or "violent'' behavior. Unfortunately, police officers and even medical personnel may confuse seizure-related behaviors with other problems. However, these behaviors merely represent semiconscious or confused actions resulting from the seizure. During seizures, some persons may not respond to questions, may speak gibberish, repeat a word or phrase, crumple important papers, or may appear frightened and scream. Some persons are confused immediately after a seizure, and if they are restrained or prevented from moving about, they can become agitated. Some persons may be able to respond to questions and carry on a conversation fairly well, but several hours later they will have no recollection of the conversation.
Anxiety and depression may be slightly more common among people with epilepsy than in the general population. In some people, problems associated with epilepsy, such as injury to specific brain areas or sensitivity to certain medications, can contribute to aggressive or confused behavior.
Seizures Do Not Cause Brain Damage
Single seizures do not cause permanent brain damage. Although tonic-clonic grand mal seizures lasting longer than 30 to 60 minutes may injure the brain, there is no evidence that shorter seizures, lasting less than 30 minutes, cause permanent injury to the brain. Prolonged episodes of other types of seizures also are unlikely to injure the brain.
Some persons have difficulty with memory and other intellectual functions after a seizure. These problems may be caused by the aftereffects of the seizure on the brain, by the effects of antiepileptic drugs, or both. Usually, however, these problems do not mean that the brain has been damaged by the seizure.
Epilepsy Is Not Necessarily Inherited
Most cases of epilepsy are not inherited. However, some types of epilepsy, most of them easily controlled with medications, are genetically transmitted, that is, passed on through the family.
Epilepsy Is Not a Life-Long Disorder
Most persons with epilepsy do not have seizures or require medication all their lives. The majority of childhood forms of epilepsy are outgrown by adulthood. For most forms of epilepsy in children and adults, when the person has been free of seizures for 2 to 4 years, medications can often be slowly withdrawn and discontinued under a doctor's supervision.
Epilepsy Is Not a Curse
Epilepsy has nothing to do with curses, possession, or other supernatural processes. Like asthma, diabetes, and high blood pressure, epilepsy is a medical problem.
Epilepsy Should Not Be a Barrier to Success
Epilepsy is perfectly compatible with a normal, happy, and full life. The person's quality of life, however, may be affected by the frequency and severity of the seizures, the effects of medications, and associated neurological disorders. Some types of epilepsy are harder to control than others. Successfully living with epilepsy requires a positive outlook, a supportive environment, and good medical care.
Acquiring a positive outlook may be easier said than done, especially for those who have grown up with insecurity and fear. This difficulty highlights the importance of instilling in children with epilepsy a sense of self-esteem. Many children with epilepsy have low self-esteem, perhaps caused in part by the reactions of others and in part by parental concern that fosters dependence and insecurity. Children develop strong self-esteem and independence through praise for their accomplishments and emphasis on their potential abilities.
http://www.neurologychannel.com/nyu/modernfacts.html
