Psychiatric Problems Associated With Epilepsy

Posted by Carnation @carnation, Jan 23, 2020

Have any of you seen a Psychiatrist for the Psychiatric problems that an epileptic will have, such as fear, depression, moods, anxiety, and many other emotional problems? I was made fun of by kids and I’m in my 50’s. Let me know. I have a fear of leaving my house when going to a lot of places. Do any of you have this problem?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Epilepsy & Seizures Support Group.

@jenfossbru

My son did see a psychologist for a few months to work on his anxiety & fears. He is in high school and a competitive swimmer. That helped a lot to get him out of the house & live life again. Lucky for him, his seizures happened at home. His friends know, but others at school don't. Teachers have been very supportive. I believe his therapist really helped. We started that early on with his journey. My advice, go talk about it with a professional. It's too much to sort out on your own. Best- Jennifer

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I’ve been looking for the right person to talk to I just haven’t found the right one yet but I’m still looking.

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My son does definitely, he is grown And had his 1st episode of seizures when he was 22 but has always had very extreme mood and I guess anger issues to the point of him being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and niveus wondered if the 2 could be related

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@deeebeee I can see you might be interested in connecting with @carnation based on your post above. I have mentioned them so they may come back to the conversation.

Have you mentioned this connection to your son or do you feel he would be open to exploring this?

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Hi i just joined this thread and read your issue that your experiencing with your sezuires. I have the same somewhat similar issue with my mood when i am having a sezuire from what i am told by others around me. I have Gran Mal Sezuires and my family have told me when i am having a sezuire that iam extremely rude, loud and just down right nasty to the point that they made me leave the hospitol. But what i dont understand is that i dont remember ANY OF IT HAPPEN ING! HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE! AND I AM VERY AFRAID TO BE ALONE BECAUSE I DONT HAVE ANY WARNINGS WHENI HAVE THEM THEY JUST HAPPEN. Doctors have never been able to tell me the cause of my sezuires except that they hereditaary because it runs in my family. Medications i take are Keppra and Gabapentin for years. It has worked up just recently this past weekend.

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@cannedy16
Hello,
Has your doctor ever told you that the episodes you describe could be post-ictal psychosis? Do you ever have Tonic-chronic seizures without being loud and rude etc.?
How long do they last? Do you ever have them prior to your seizures or do you ever have them within a few days afterward?
are you sure you don’t have Focal seizures that convert to Focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures (older terminology - secondarily generalized tonic-clonic seizures)
About half the people diagnosed with Epilepsy is of unknown origin. I’ve had epilepsy for 54 years and they don’t know what caused mine either.
it’s not at all surprising you don’t have any memory of your seizure. When your unconscious during a seizure you brain obviously isn't functioning correctly and memories are not stored. Although I have read about people who claim they are aware during a tonic-clonic seizure. Maybe so but I'm skeptical of that claim. After the (ictal phase) people usually are post-ictal and the brain still isn't functioning normally which further compromises how the brain processes memory.
Amnesia is common in seizures.
when I was 15 and had my first episode of convulsive status epilepticus I was in an induced coma for eight months and when I woke up my memory was gone for those 15 years. No part of it has ever returned and that was 54 years ago.
How much Keppra & Gabapentin do you take.
I’m not saying this will be of any benefit to you however it was to me. I switched to extended release anticonvulsant and my seizures stopped after many thousands over 44 years.
I wish you good luck & a seizure free future,
Jake

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they have dogs which are trained to 'sniff' people and let they know when a seizure will occur. they are trained dogs like the ones used for the blind.

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Hello @cannedy16 and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I can understand your concerns and am very glad to see that @jakedduck1 has already provided you with support and ideas to consider with regard to your seizures. Members such as @carnation and @deeebeee also have been recently active and commenting on behaviors related to seizures.

I will let you answer the questions asked by @jakedduck1 so members can continue to provide support.

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@mocuishle

they have dogs which are trained to 'sniff' people and let they know when a seizure will occur. they are trained dogs like the ones used for the blind.

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@mocuishle
Seizure dogs are great but they usually cost tens of thousands of dollars up to $50,000. Insurance doesn't usually cover the cost but there are exceptions.
Take care,
Jake

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@amandajro

@deeebeee I can see you might be interested in connecting with @carnation based on your post above. I have mentioned them so they may come back to the conversation.

Have you mentioned this connection to your son or do you feel he would be open to exploring this?

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Thank you, I have mentioned to my son and honestly its hard to get him to cooperate with exploring more about just the seizures. He doesnt see what we see, he only wakes up with a nearly severed tounge and soiled pants.
Which is another issue- how do you get someone who has sudden onset of massive seizure episodes to grasp the seriousness? He doesn't know the first thing about epilepsy and seems to be in denial. So having a attitude problem doesn't add up to having interest in quality follow up care! So frustrating

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@mocuishle

they have dogs which are trained to 'sniff' people and let they know when a seizure will occur. they are trained dogs like the ones used for the blind.

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@mocuishle Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect, glad you are here.

May I ask if you are here to learn about epilepsy and if you have this condition?

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