Antidepressants Blog » Epilepsy http://oppill.com About depression and its treatment Mon, 25 Jul 2011 11:19:45 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 COPING WITH EPILEPSY/ACCEPTANCE: THE BIGGEST PROBLEM – “IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO EMPHASIZE?” http://oppill.com/2011/07/coping-with-epilepsyacceptance-the-biggest-problem-is-there-anything-else-youd-like-to-emphasize/ http://oppill.com/2011/07/coping-with-epilepsyacceptance-the-biggest-problem-is-there-anything-else-youd-like-to-emphasize/#comments Wed, 13 Jul 2011 11:07:54 +0000 admin http://oppill.com/?p=196 “There are a couple of things that I would like to emphasize. First, people, particularly parents, have to remember that kids with epilepsy are kids first. You can’t ascribe all of their problems to epilepsy. Kids fight, they sulk, they rebel, they don’t do their chores. Epilepsy is not responsible for all of the child’s problems. Epilepsy can influence and increase the magnitude of the problems. But how the child handles the epilepsy and how the parents handle both epilepsy and the child will influence that child’s future. Much of the counseling I do is the same counseling I would do for any parent of any child who had some problems. I have to help the child and the family deal with the problems in the context of the epilepsy and how everyone has reacted to it.”Another thing I find useful is contracts. My part of the contract is to be open, honest, and available. The other person’s part depends on the goals and on the person’s age. A reward system is always useful, independent of age. Setting small goals which can be achieved is very important. For children, it may be little things like brushing teeth, making their beds, doing one chore. These chores give children an area in which to succeed; they get their reward, and slowly they learn to take responsibility. When the child demonstrates responsibility in one area, then we can begin to work on another. Perhaps they are then ready to begin to assume responsibility for remembering to take their own medication, without the parent reminding, or giving the medication. This is then the child’s first step in assuming control over seizures and over his or her own life.”For adolescents, it may be something in school or small things at home: washing the dishes, cleaning their room. For adults it would be a different goal, but something they clearly could achieve and for which they would receive a reward, even if the reward was just winning my praise. Gradually they learn to take control and to assume responsibility, and ultimately that responsibility is extended to their epilepsy. I don’t think there is any more rewarding job than helping these children and their families achieve their full potential.*239\208\8*

]]> http://oppill.com/2011/07/coping-with-epilepsyacceptance-the-biggest-problem-is-there-anything-else-youd-like-to-emphasize/feed/ 0 THE FACTS-THE FIRST SEIZURE AND THE DIAGNOSIS OF EPILEPSY: OTHER CAUSES OF IMPAIRED OXYGEN SUPPLY TO THE BRAIN-TICS, HABITS, AND RITUALISTIC MOVEMENTS, COLIC http://oppill.com/2009/04/the-facts-the-first-seizure-and-the-diagnosis-of-epilepsy-other-causes-of-impaired-oxygen-supply-to-the-brain-tics-habits-and-ritualistic-movements-colic/ http://oppill.com/2009/04/the-facts-the-first-seizure-and-the-diagnosis-of-epilepsy-other-causes-of-impaired-oxygen-supply-to-the-brain-tics-habits-and-ritualistic-movements-colic/#comments Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:34:32 +0000 admin http://oppill.com/2009/04/the-facts-the-first-seizure-and-the-diagnosis-of-epilepsy-other-causes-of-impaired-oxygen-supply-to-the-brain-tics-habits-and-ritualistic-movements-colic/ Tics in children usually involve the upper part of the face—screwing up the eyes, or rapid blinking. More complex habits such as grunting, and brushing the hair away from the eyes are common in children, and seldom confused with seizures. Sometimes, however, children indulge in strange patterns of movement which they apparently find pleasurable, and which they stop immediately on reprimand. Sometimes infants and toddlers will rock backwards and forwards squeezing their thighs together in a manner which seems to be masturbatory.

Colic-Colic or ‘wind’ is a common symptom in babies and young infants, and is usually easily recognized and diagnosed. However, occasionally infantile spasms (West’s syndrome), may be mistaken for colic or some other type of pain, which can lead to a delay in the diagnosis of this type of epilepsy.

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