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Epilepsy and Your Career
Does anyone feel like they are being held back in the job advancement when it comes to promotions due to them having seizure, or side of effects their medication from their seizures? I know by law we can't be discriminated by our epilepsy, if we can do the job; but a manager can just easily say that someone was better despite your knowledge of the job and your availability to work.
Am I the only one who feels this way or am I just having resentment?
Part of the reason it bothers me is because it's so hard to get a job near enough for me to walk to work or that I can get a job that I get paid enough to pay for my transport.
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Mainly asking because is there an end when it comes to job advancement when it comes to a job because of me having seizures?
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2 ReactionsBEST POLICY IS NEVER TELL WORK YOU HAVE EPILEPSY
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3 Reactions@kobebeef2026
there is always prejudice when it comes to disability's but proving it is another job in itself. i like the best policy part , but when they find out they can let you go for that. ill send a prayer out for you--------------sent.
Have a blessed day.
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1 Reactionmost people have to apply at least 2 times @randallshields56
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1 Reaction@randallshields56
I am an RN.
My Neurologist recommended that I don’t tell my work that I have epilepsy as I was struggling with some medication side effects so I needed some work restrictions. He wrote my restrictions were from a medical condition for a couple months. I had no problems. Then we had a discussion and he did write they were from Epilepsy. I was let go from my job with 6 months!
Because I got a new supervisor within 6 months, she started preparing to make sure I was going to be gone!
My previous supervisor and MD’s I worked with knew I had Epilepsy and were fine. I had shared it with my coworkers I worked around everyday that I felt was appropriate.
So yes It makes it hard depending on where you work, who your boss is, and what you do.
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6 Reactions@tlkokke would love to see the changes where people had to work for us. it bites you have to go through this. i do also, just retired and having seizures whenever they want to surface. wish i was an employer and could put you to work. can you do computer work skill jobs from home? might not hurt to check or start up a business of your own. just thoughts. well sending you a prayer ---------sent and have good vibes sent too. have a blessed day.
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2 Reactions@kobebeef2026 or more if they really want a specific position.
@cancersurvivor05
I think what you say depends on individual circumstances. If your seizures are well controlled and the likelihood of having one at work is small, then unless one would affect safety at work ( the job is operating heavy machinery) or you are directly asked on a pre-employment physical, why mention it? But if you’re likely to have a seizure sitting at a desk, it’s probably better that your coworkers are knowledgeable and able to respond appropriately. ( By the time I developed epilepsy, I was working at home entirely, and there was no reason to mention it. )
The rest of the equation depends upon your reading of how enlightened the company and your supervisor are. But epilepsy is not that uncommon and so you may find support from people which you didn’t expect.
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1 ReactionHi @cancersurvivor05,
Thank you so much for bringing this important discussion to our group! You've touched on something that affects many of us here.
Please know you're far from alone in feeling held back in your career because of epilepsy. I wish I could say workplace attitudes have fully caught up with the reality of living with this condition, but unfortunately, stigma and misunderstanding still exist in many work environments.
I completely agree with @tlkokke's approach—when you can maintain privacy without compromising safety, it's often the wisest path. The first idea that @tlkokke's neurologist had was a great one, but it's telling how everything changed once epilepsy was revealed. If I were still working as a job coach, I honestly wouldn't disclose my condition either. I know it would have changed the dynamic with both my employer and the people I was coaching, even though it shouldn't.
Throughout history, people with epilepsy have made extraordinary contributions—Van Gogh, Theodore Roosevelt, Agatha Christie, Alfred Nobel, Joan of Arc, and so many others. We're in good company.
Thank you again for starting this conversation. It matters!
Chris
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5 Reactions@randallshields56
Thank you for your kind and caring words. It was very difficult at that time having to leave that job! I was working WAY too many hours and letting my own health go. I already had a Right Temporal amygdalohippocampectomy in 2019 and my seizures were getting worse along with my headaches.
Sadly, employers don’t understand and aren’t educated enough to understand what people with epilepsy may sometimes need to support them get their jobs done. So I am now Volunteering with the American Epilepsy Foundation to hopefully help make this possible.
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5 Reactions