MYTH #4: PEOPLE WITH EPILEPSY LOOK DIFFERENT.
Every time I have ever shared our experience with epilepsy, someone has said, "Wow!! I can't believe your daughter has been through all that!! She doesn't look different!!"
Well, that's because she isn't different. She's a child with a medical condition. People with epilepsy don't look different. There's not an outward marker of it. They don't wear giant E's on their jackets to signify their medical conditions. You wouldn't expect a person with diabetes or a heart condition to look different. Why would someone with epilepsy look different than someone without?
To a certain degree I can understand what they are thinking. In my daughter's case, she has been through so much trauma that you would think that there would be an outwardly physical manifestation of it. Sometimes I'm guilty of that, too. I look at her and think, "She looks so normal. No one would ever believe what she's been through just by looking at her."
Most people with epilepsy are highly functioning individuals. They have jobs. They go to school. They have family and friends. They have hobbies and activities that they enjoy. Their lives are not consumed by their seizures. It's a small part of their lives. They have one, they handle it, and they move on. When my daughter is in good health, we aren't dictated by her seizures. We take small precautions, but don't limit our activities. She plays baseball. She goes to school. She's active in her after school program. She lives the life of a "normal" child because 90% of the time she is a normal child.
One last thing before I post for the day: Don't pity people with epilepsy. They don't need it. They need understanding and support, but not pity. If you feel yourself leaning towards pity, reach out and try to understand what epilepsy is, and how to help. Pity doesn't help anyone. Ever.
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