So Who, What is Normal
Speaking as an epileptic to all people with or living with epileptics normal is
considered what is socially
and culturally acceptable but, social and cultural will change normal thus
altering the concerns of
cognitive social psychology. !STRANGE AH if you were born with epilepsy you are
'normal' you just have
fits, simple enough ah but, if you have had a bad hit to the head you probably
will end up having
epilepsy because of brain trauma. It is from this that (from experience and a
degree course in
psychology I speak) I can say, epilepsy is not your (there) problem it is
cognition. Because of the brain
damage the cognition (thinking processing response time) causes you/them to
appear to be not 'normal'
thus although they/you may physically be appealable a patronization comes in
between them/you and
the 'partner' and 'we' become unlovable as people. We are viewed as ohh or ahh
or poor thing not come
here i want you now? This dilemma can be further complicated if you end up on
sticks/wheelchairs.
Phenomenological psychology at face value can be a most beneficial for
understanding and/or revealing
an individuals "self" through its uninterrupted methodology through the use of
Free Association
Narrative Interviewing (FANI) to establish a subjects "self". This is where
there is a difference basically it
is all about and quite simply means, 'talk to them/us, give them/us time to
process what has been said
and to think of a reply. You will be very surprised at how clever people
actually are and--how
sexy/lovable. WHAT? Simple really, as Socrates once implied 'why should society
follow each other like
sheep. We all have an opinion and a brain to process our thoughts. Why then
should we accept
'normal/fashionable' simply because the majority says it is. Equally, Normal is
based on a majority rule
so who is right and even if normal (majority of) has an opinion why cant we
challenge it and say 'your
wrong?. I have a different life style to you. Am i wrong or are you, should the
answer be based on a
survey of 'majority rule (what's normal) or should we accept that we are both
right and then look for a
common ground that we can both agree to be normal. Why should we be alienated
because we need
sticks/wheelchairs and have fits.

Learning how to cope with epilepsy
Self consciousness, it has long been considered that this is innate it would
follow therefore that
attitudes accompany our innate self consciousness due to our automated behavior
to a situation. For
example, at maturity we look to the opposite gender! Generally speaking this
drive is both innate and an
attitude based upon the implementation of monogamous grooming from parents,
media and society.
Religion with its implications that "self' is our soul is questionable based on
our religious in doctoring
and the society we live in yet can also be used to create attitudes.
`What's this to do with epilepsy'?
In modernistic terms it is argued that self consciousness, attitudes and our
innate self is dualistic, that is
to say they are one of the same. It is as important though to accept that due to
an attitude (triggers for
seizures) we all have behavioral responses, some good some bad and these can
lead us to have an
emotional deficit. To fit into our society we have to learn how to behave,
"alter your attitude"! In doing
this it can take people out of there comfort zones leaving them uncomfortable,
nervous or even
vulnerable and more prone to fits.
Attitudes and self consciousness are innate/ media and society based constraints
that are imposed upon
individuals as they grow and develop from child hood through adolescence into
adulthood where, the
link's and chains of opinions are enforced upon the next generation. This is why
it is vital that we and
our nearest and dearest understand and give us a wide birth.
A prime example of this can be seen in the modem child of today, there are few
who are aware of the
constraints of familiarity and or respect to there elders. This "mind set" is a
complete change from thirty
years ago clearly indicating that "attitudes" towards teaching respect (to
create an attitude) has
changed. It is apparent that, in this instance child rearing is not innate, it
has to be taught but, when a
child is in danger it is a self conscious innate response to protect it. So, it
is that same attitude that we all
need to adopt to ease the pressures on both the epileptic and the
family/friends.
I introduced this article by referring to attitudes/ triggers and how they
accompany our innate self
consciousness due to our automated behavior to a situation. Hence, the starting
point for this topical
research is as old as researchable recorded history, from the mass attitudinal
hysteria towards the Jews
before the Second World War to the good will drive to save the planet. These are
all attitudes which
when reaching a point of hysteria can affect self consciousness and can become
an inherent attribute
for the innate self "US" AND OUR SELF CONFIDANCE, (I wont go out just in
case---).
The concept of Social psychology of self could be summed up by Solomon Asch
(1956) where his studies
into "normal" (what is socially and culturally acceptable) groups, there social
influence and places they
are at will result in being a type of conformity. This however is a resulting
opinion of a minority (us!) not
a majority and therefore over looks the individual. It is this attitude that
affects self consciousness and is
the frustrating difficulty, helping people to help us help ourselves?
As "We" the human race come from many differences cultures a starting point for
this researchable
history into attitudes and self consciousness is through the eyes of religion-
self-soul and the inherent
parental/ cultural dis/approval of behavior. Is society to be held accountable
for these behavioral
attitudes or society for en doctoring the youth. Either way both are based on a
common ground/need,
that being cohesion based upon a fear factor. Contrary to this social influence
on behavior and to re
enforce the point raised earlier With regards to the frustrating difficulty in
researching social psychology
of self we have a strange species called the individual/non conformist. (An
example of such was
reviewed by us in the mirror) In a drive to research self and attitude
"Unfolding discourse analysis" in
post modernism has been researched by (McGuire, 1985, p. 239) raising the
concept that "attitudes are
locating objects of thought on dimensions of judgment and placing it in a
hierarchy (phenomenological
narratives). Equally Potter and Wetherell in there research are more interested
in how people talk
(cognitive processes). This turn to language research though is seen as a model
of contained, rational
and stable individual processes. For now, in short phenomenological narratives
are pictorial
descriptions, used as a method to converse with 'society', this method is used
unconsciously due to
hemispheric damage (a side of the brain). For epileptics who acquired this
disadvantage the cognitive
processes such as memory recall are not as reliable so `we' make use of
pictorial. This is partially why
'we' are all different, that and the fact that the pills we have to take change
our personality. Cognitive
and behavioral disorders often overshadow seizures and can be the greatest cause
of impaired quality of
life. People with epilepsy may have cognitive impairments, which effect
attention, memory, mental
speed, and language, as well as executive and social functions. Furthermore,
these problems often go
unrecognized and, even when identified, are often under treated or untreated. In
this section you can
see in greater detail the cognitive and behavioral disorders associated with
epilepsy. The information is
divided into two sections:
Mood and Behavior ; gives a basic overview of mood and behavioral disorders
associated with
epilepsy. Advanced Mood & Behavior, provides a more in depth, intermediate level
of information
regarding mood & behavior disorders associated with epilepsy.
Mood and Behavior
Epilepsy and its treatment affect the way that some people with this disorder
think and behave. While a
seizure is happening, it interferes with thinking. If seizures happen over and
over again (as they
sometimes do), they can have a lasting effect on many of the brain's functions,
from memory and
language to planning and reasoning. It's possible that epilepsy may change how
you relate to others,
your mood, even your personality. But most people with epilepsy find that it has
the effect on their
behavior.
Do any of these sound like you?
"I just don't trust my short-term memory. "
"I knew the word I wanted to say, but I couldn't get it out. Or I'd say another
word that wasn't quite
right. "
"I am more irritable now; everything is an effort."
"I'd finish watching a show, and somebody would ask me what it was about, and I
couldn't answer
them. I didn't know, and I just watched it!"
Not only can seizures and epilepsy affect how you react to the world, but they
also can affect how the
world reacts to you. Many people don't know what to do when they see a seizure.
Some can't
understand that a person who looks pretty normal may not understand a single
word being said. The
workplace can bring new challenges, and some people with epilepsy have to find
other jobs because of
their seizures.
Advanced Mood and Behavior
Neurobehavioral disorders including fatigue, depression, anxiety, and psychosis
commonly affect
patients with epilepsy. In addition to neurobehavioral disorders, patients with
epilepsy may present
with cognitive impairments, which effect attention, memory, mental speed, and
language, as well as
executive and social functions. Cognitive and behavioral disorders often
overshadow the seizures
themselves and can be the greatest cause of impaired quality of life.
Furthermore, these problems often
go unrecognized and, even when identified, are often under treated or untreated.
Patients with epilepsy
frequently suffer from cognitive and behavioral disorders that range from subtle
to severe. Behavior
changes occur during and immediately after most seizures. However, in some
cases, cognition and
behavior also change for prolonged periods after individual seizures or
throughout the long interacted
gaps. Aggressive control of seizures, and possibly reduction of interacted
epilepsy activity's may help
prevent interacted cognitive and behavioral disorders. The late 19th century
view of epilepsy as a
progressive disorder-in terms of both seizures and cognitive-behavioral
disorders-is finding support from
modern studies (1). While the best therapy for cognitive and behavioral
disorders may be prevention,
there is little systematic study of the phenomenon either retrospectively or
prospectively .
A less pleasant but equally as informative fact with epilepsy is;
Epilepsy has long been recognized and invoked as a significant ingredient in the
mechanism of sudden
unexpected death, particularly in the setting of status seizures, trauma,
drowning's and aspiration of
gastric content However, a wider appreciation that epilepsy per se may be a
major cause of, rather than
contributory factor to death, is a relatively recent concept which may not be
widely comprehended or
accepted by the community at large, epileptic patients and their physicians, and
perhaps some
pathologists. Since these cases present as sudden, unexpected and often
unexplained death, they will
fall under the jurisdiction of the coroner, and in most circumstances require
specialist forensic
pathological investigation.
Like that other acronym SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), the term SUDEP
(sudden unexpected
death-) hints at a relatively stereotypical series of circumstances allied to an
unascertained cause of
death; but unlike SIDS (or perhaps the more controversial SADS (sudden adult
death syndrome)), the
field of potential causative mechanisms appears narrower and is arguably better
delineated, holding the
promise of effective intervention strategies.
Much research over the past few years has pointed to complex cerebral and cardio
respiratory factors,
which individually or in concert may result in death during or shortly after a
seizure. If the task of
clinicians is to predict and intervene, the role of the forensic pathologist and
coroner might best be seen
as recognition and comprehensive investigation so that the true incidence (at
various points in time) is
documented, and effective multidisciplinary remedies implemented. A vital first
step along this path is
uniformity of approach, but many factors need to be addressed before this
pathological nirvana is
attained, some of which may be subject to considerable regional and situational
constraints.
This last section of course is by no means a Chrystal ball view of our future
just an awareness of possible
events which, we and our attitudes can alter (a bit like should we stop
smoking?).

To close the article on a positive note;
Society in general is not an alien species as they may appear? The main driving
force of there `attitudes'
towards epileptics is (believe it or not, fear and ignorance) the `not knowing
what to do or how to
behave. `IF' like most things in life people are given the tools to deal with a
given situation then `normal'
for one would be the same for the other thus all would be treated the same.
Sadly though we don't live
in Utopia where equality and normal are –well-normal everyday situations so, is
it not down to each of
us to pass on the tools, I hope in some small way I have at least given you the
reader a `starter kit'. Just
remember that `we' the chosen few, the selected above others, the elite of
society have the
edge over them, we know what its like and can rise above them and there
attitudes. How,
simple because we have the knowledge there frightened of so stand proud??