Epilepsy is a condition in which a person has two or more seizures affecting a variety of mental and physical functions. Epilepsy is one of the oldest conditions of the human race. Epilepsy Awareness is important because Epilepsy is a widely misunderstood disorder. The reason that Epilepsy has been misunderstood has been mainly due to research not being conducted until the middle of the nineteenth century. There are six main types of seizures and many treatments that can assist an epileptic patient. Many facts and myths exist about a person who has Epilepsy, which, is why it is an important disorder to understand. A person living with Epilepsy can typically have a normal life after seeking medical advice from doctors.
Epilepsy has been around since the beginning. During the Greek period, many believed that seizures were actual visitations from the gods. The Greeks often called this disorder “The Sacred Disease” (Schachter). However, Hippocrates believed that Epilepsy was no more sacred than any other disease (Schachter). During the Renaissance period, people begin to believe that seizures were associated with evil demons and that the devil possessed the person. During this period, society would burn people at the stake who had seizures after accusing them of being sorcerers. Even as much as a century ago, it was difficult for a person who had Epilepsy. There was little known about Epilepsy, Society shunned people that had this disorder and epileptic patients often led a life of isolation. People thought that Epilepsy was contagious and were often isolated in hospitals into areas that were for “epileptic only” (Landau). It was not until the mid-nineteenth century that Physicians and Neurologist begin to study and re…
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