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What is the best way to tell my children that I have epilepsy?
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Epilepsy Action Australia
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Established in 1952, Epilepsy Action Australia provides education and support for people with epilepsy, their families and community, and professional groups. These services promote self-management … View Profile
Epilepsy means that you have seizures sometimes, which start in the brain. The cells in the brain make everything in your body work by sending signals to each other and parts of the body. It is like switching on and off like tiny lights, making us move, think and do things you do every minute of the day. Sometimes the brain cells don’t switch on and off the way they are supposed to and they sometimes get switched on all at once. So, for just a few seconds or a minute or two, they don't work quite the way they should and can send mixed up signals, so your body gets mixed up messages. This is a seizure.
This could make your body shake without you wanting it to shake. Or could make you move around as if you were half asleep. It could even make you stop and stare for a moment or two. All these changes are called seizures.
Seizures only happen sometimes. Epilepsy doesn’t mean you are sick all the time and it doesn’t mean you have to stay in bed. Someone who has epilepsy feels just as healthy as everyone else, most of the time. But sometimes he or she may have a seizure and need to rest.
