Epilepsy is a disease so shrouded in myth and superstition that few know what it really is. Before dispelling the myths let us understand the illness.
Epilepsy is a neuropsychiatric disorder that involves severe convulsions or seizures
There are three kinds of Epilepsy namely Grande Mal, Petit Mal and Psycho Motor Epilepsy.
Grande Mal Epilepsy: As the name suggests this is the worst kind or most intense kind of epilepsy. It is marked by acute convulsions or seizures. During the seizures the patient uncontrollably shakes or trembles. These tremors involve the entire body. The person also froths in the mouth.
Before the onset of the actual seizures, the patient experience a warning signal. This signal may be a strange sound or smell. This signal lasts for about 5 to 10 minutes and is technically called an ‘Aura’. After the ‘Aura ‘the seizure begins. How long the seizures lasts depends on the intensity of the disease and varies from patient to patient. After the seizure the patient drifts into a very deep sleep called “Narcoleptic sleep” after which he/she recovers consciousness.
Petit-mal: In this type of disease the patient is unconscious though he/she appears to be conscious. He/she undergoes what is technically called a “trance”, A classic example of ‘Petit-Mal’ is that of Silas Marner in the novel by George Eliot, like a seizure the length of the trance varies from patient to patient. The trance is observable by looking at the pupils of the patient’s eyes, which indicates the trance.
Psychomotor Epilepsy: Here movements which are involuntary occur. Such movements involve trembling of various parts of the body especially the face these movements are called ‘tics’.
Myths regarding Epilepsy:
The most common myths is that Epilepsy is a condition where the person is possessed by the devil. This is entirely false the disease just like any other disease is treatable by neurologists or psychiatrists. It is commonly also believed that a leather piece should be put in the patient’s mouth. Don’t do this because the patient may choke and it can be very dangerous.
Instead of indulging in these false beliefs the best thing to do for an epileptic is to loosen his/her clothes let the patient lie down, remove furniture and let the attack occur and then subside. Remember do not forcibly awaken them when they drift into deep sleep. Secondly do not give them water to drink as it may choke the patient. In fact don’t put anything in the mouth of the patient.
This disease is also called “Jackson’s Disease” as Dr Hughlings Jackson devised a treatment for it. This procedure is called “lobotomy” which involves partial removal of the frontal lobe of the brain. Further research involved removal of the “Corpus Callosun” of the brain. Dr. Egas Moniz performed several successful lobotomies.
Today the laboctomy is no longer done, except in extreme cases, since
the disease is treated by medication. This medication lasts for five years from the period of first attack, and has proved quite successful. Epilepsy is treated by neurologists and psychiatrists and is a disease one can live with. The epileptic can marry and have normal children. He/she can work in an occupation that is not too stressful. For precautionary sake the epileptic should not drive or involve in ‘split second’ thinking.
Finally Epilepsy should be distinguished from narcolepsy and catalepsy. Narcolepsy is excessive daytime sleeping, with the ability to sleep at any time of the day even during an activity. Catalepsy involves muscular rigidity and decreased sensitivity to pain. It also involve fixation of posture irrespective of external stimuli.
Astrid Anna Pinheiro is an M.SC in psychotherapy and has taught psychology for 22 years
