International Epilepsy Day is a special event which promotes awareness of epilepsy in more than 120 countries each year. Every year, on the second Monday of February, people join together to celebrate and highlight the problems faced by people with epilepsy, their families and carers. This is a day for everyone, no matter where you are, no matter how small your group or large your area, no matter whether you focus on the medical or the social aspects of the disease. Help celebrate International Epilepsy Day and let’s speak with one global voice. Epilepsy affects 1 in 100 people in South Africa. There are 50 million people living with epilepsy globally. Epilepsy is a neurological condition that is characterised by unusual electrical activity in the brain, causing unprovoked seizures. It is not a psychological disorder or illness and it is not contagious. The brain is made up of billions of nerve cells or neurons that communicate through electrical and chemical signals. When there is a sudden excessive electrical discharge that disrupts the normal activity of the nerve cells, a seizure may result.
There are quite a few misconceptions about the condition that inhibits an improved quality of life for a person with epilepsy. Some of these misconceptions are that people living with epilepsy:
• Can’t excel at things that require physical or intellectual work, such as sport
• Should be treated differently
• Have epilepsy because someone did something wrong
• Are bewitched
For most people with epilepsy, the biggest problem they have to face is other people’s attitudes to epilepsy. What people with epilepsy need most is understanding and acceptance from the public.
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