A recurring theme in my book “Sacred Lives: the history, cultural associations and social impact of epilepsy” is the relative invisibility of contemporary “celebrities” to champion their epilepsy and its cause. We should celebrate those who have been prepared to do so but also ask ourselves why their numbers are Read more…
In our third (and last) episode in this series on careers, we argue that Epilepsy shouldn’t stop any of us from having a meaningful career that we also love. There are plenty of careers that just don’t seem a great fit for people with Epilepsy, but that doesn’t mean there Read more…
When it comes to epilepsy, there are no ‘good’ seizures; there are no ‘easier’ (or lesser) diagnoses. As people with epilepsy, don’t we have enough to contend with, without contending with each other.
The fairy tale is one of those things in life we rely upon to be comfortably predictable. This is epitomised with the much-loved phrase, ‘happily ever after’, or, as it sometimes goes, ‘and they lived happily ever after’. This satisfactory and, above all else, ‘happy’ ending is pleasing for us Read more…
If I wasn’t comfortable in a situation, be it in a job, a relationship or a living arrangement (you name it), I’d run. Anything that meant I’d have to confront something about myself that made me even the slightest bit uneasy, I’d pass. I don’t mean I’ve slowly backed away Read more…
In the BrainAblaze podcast ‘Sleep Till Brooklyn’, host, David Clifford, described just how important sleep is, and, more specifically, how vital it is for people with epilepsy. It had already inspired my post this week, and then, in a (harsh but timely) turn of fate, I had a fall. ‘What Read more…
Even though, on paper, this is an awesome benefit, it neglects many people. The UK government has put it in place specifically for people with any disability, illness or mental health condition, yet uses the same application process for everyone. Instantly, they’ve stacked the deck against people with invisible disabilities, or mental health conditions.
I’ve written previously about an episode of my life where anger, frustration and immense loathing of my diagnosis caused me to make a terrible (and dangerous) decision. Without medical advice, I stopped taking my medication and lost almost a year of my life, it’s still a blank spot in my Read more…
I’ve had to accept, and it’s taken practice, that my mysterious sojourns from consciousness into the dark might just involve ‘souvenirs’…
I was talking to my mate, G. and he said, do you wanna hear something strange, Goldilocks? Well, I thought. What girl doesn’t want to do something, see something or hear something strange? And, he said: ‘we met about 5 years ago, yet I’ve known you for longer than you’ve Read more…