The awkward silence after saying “epilepsy”
Dealing with epilepsy · Misconceptions

The awkward silence after saying “epilepsy”

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There is a strange silence that sometimes appears after someone says the word “epilepsy”.

Not always. Some people react normally. Some ask questions. Some even try to understand. But many simply freeze for a few seconds, as if they suddenly became afraid of saying the wrong thing.

He noticed this years ago.

At first, he thought he was imagining it. Maybe people just needed time to process the information. Maybe they were surprised. But after enough conversations, patterns become obvious.

People suddenly become careful.

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Dealing with epilepsy · Way too personal

Friendship: The Beauty of the “Non-Flincher”

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In many of my previous posts, I mentioned that people often react to epilepsy with fear—not fear for me, but fear that they won’t know how to handle the situation. This fear creates a distance. It makes people treat you like you’re made of glass, or worse, they stop inviting you places because they don’t want the “responsibility” of your health.

However, there is a special category of person I call the “Non-Flincher.” These are the friends who know about the condition and don’t make it the centerpiece of the relationship. They don’t panic if you look a little tired, and they don’t treat a seizure like a scene from a horror movie. If one happens, they simply follow the protocol, wait it out, and then ask if you want a glass of water or to talk about something else entirely.

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Misconceptions · Dealing with epilepsy

The Anatomy of an “Almost” Seizure

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There is a specific kind of exhaustion that comes from the “almost” seizure. In the community, we often talk about auras—those strange, sensory warnings that something is coming. Sometimes they lead to a full event, and sometimes they just… linger.

An aura is like seeing a storm on the horizon. You start the mental checklist: Am I near something sharp? Should I sit down? Who is around me? You prepare for the drop, the loss of consciousness, the total surrender of control. But then, the storm passes without breaking. The “static” in your head clears, the nausea fades, and you are left standing there, heart racing, waiting for a blow that never landed.

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Career counseling · Dealing with epilepsy

Career Counseling: The Disclosure Dilemma

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One of the most frequent questions I grapple with is: When do I tell them? In a job interview, you are there to sell your best self. You highlight your skills, your reliability, and your drive. You don’t exactly want to lead with, “By the way, my brain occasionally glitches and I might need to lie on the floor for twenty minutes.”

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Dealing with epilepsy · Misconceptions · Not too personal

The Lifestyle Trap: It’s Not Just “Stress”

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If I had a Euro for every time someone suggested a “lifestyle change” to cure my epilepsy, I could probably fund my own research lab. We’ve all heard it: “Have you tried yoga?” “Maybe you should quit gluten.” “Is it just because you’re stressed?”

While sleep and stress management are vital tools for any chronic condition, there is a dangerous misconception that epilepsy is a failure of discipline. It frames a neurological disorder as a lack of “wellness.” When people offer these tips, they are often trying to be helpful, but they are also trying to make sense of something scary. If it’s just about “stress,” then it’s something they can control. If it’s a random electrical storm in the brain, that’s much more unsettling.

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