September 11, 2010 was a day for rememberance and service. This year I participated in a conference hosted by The Epilepsy Center of Riverside on Living with Epilepsy: More than Seizures.... Mood, Behavior, and Learning issues in persons with Epilepsy.
WOW! We had a great audience, a panel the included representatives of Social Security Administration, ombudsman from DMV, and advocate for social services. I learned alot from them and did a bit of talking of my own.
SOME POINTS MADE ABOUT MOOD, BEHAVIOR LEARNING:
1. medications for epilepsy can improve or harm mood, behavior or learning. If the med seems to make you significantly worse talk to your doctor about changing the medication.
2. Changing from name brand to generic or one generic to another generic can affect mood, behavior, or learning
3. inadequate treatment for seizures / breakthrough seizures can lead to problems in mood, behavior, learning.
4. some persons with epilepsy are stigmatized (treated differently by folks who do not understand epilepsy) which can lead to problems with mood, behavior, learning.
5. teens have an especially difficulty time with moodiness. Put the typical concern over who we are and how we fit in as teens with any of the above and you have a recipe for trouble. Support groups and close supervision can help.
6. Anxiety, unexpected laugher or fear, strange outbursts, hallucinations, sudden interruption of activity to stare off or drop head could be the seizure. Seizures are not all convulsions - described above are just a few of the ways a seizure without convulsion can present.
7. If the seizure is from a part of the brain that controls mood, behavior, or learning, after the seizure that part of the brain may not work well for up to 24 hours. Controlling the seizures can prevent both the seizures and these long spells of "not acting right".
8. 80% of children and a very large percent of adults with epilepsy have a significant enough trouble with mood, behavior, or learning.
7. each of us (Epileptic or not) have the power to improve our mood, behavior, learning through our lifestyle choices. Taking opportunities to improve your life by such lifestyle choices has no cost and is not going to be prescribed by your doctor. more on each later but the brief overview includes:
LIFESTYLE CHOICES
1. adequate regular restorative sleep
2. regular exercise
3. work - helps us have a purpose and/or feel good about having something to do everyday
4. community involvement
5. volunteerism
6. loving relationships and touch (I am not excluding having a great cat or dog to love and be loved by and touch!)
7. Nature - time in the outdoors is undervalued and shown to be good for physical and mental health
8. Spirituality
9. Self time / Mediation / Relaxation / alone restorative part of each day
10. Diet
Enough for now -
Be Well -
Diane Stein MD
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