Living With Epilepsy in a Dysfunctional Family

After an epilepsy diagnosis, we are left with questions. If the doctor doesn't say anything, or even if they do, they seem to think we will not ask more questions.

Suddenly, a wave of uncertainty and questions

I went home and suddenly a new wave of uncertainty and fear came crashing down on what you thought you would consider a normal life. As an introduction to this new normal, it’s a wheel that won't stop spinning.

Questions include everything from what causes seizures to some conspiracy theory of how epileptics are witches. Luckily, I did not grow up at a time when the accusation alone would have either gotten me beheaded or hanged.

Epilepsy's impact on the other family members

Of course, with my diagnosis, now the family becomes affected. And all of a sudden, it's how epilespy is going to affect them, and they forget that I’m the person who is affected the most.

Unfortunately, the one family member who did try to support me sometimes did more damage in regards to how I live my life through their constant paranoia of me having a seizure.

Receiving incomplete support is better than none

As I am processing the information, I am also confronted with the idea that this someone believed I was already aware of what was happening to me and what caused my epilepsy. I wanted dispute what they were saying, but the family member was all the support I had, and as dysfunctional the support system had became, I did not want to be alone on this journey.

My mother, from the beginning, became my biggest advocate even when she doesn't know it.

I can't talk to most of my family about my epilespy

Sadly, I can't say that for the rest of my family. Others either ignored the fact that I have epilepsy or did not know how to bring it up (in retrospect, that is better than ignorance). Horrible enough that I can't talk to my family as is, or family not knowing how to talk, my diagnosis slowly established a crack in an already broken glass that’s beyond repair.