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Adult epilepsy and illogical thought??

Sat, 05/08/2010 - 15:56
Not sure how to describe this in a forum post, but I'm going to try in hopes of finding some answers. My husband has had epilepsy since childhood, he is in his early 30s now. He has not had an attack since he met me a year and a half ago because he has been eating and sleeping better. He says he gets his attacks when he is sleep deprived and up in the early am hours. Anyway, one MAJOR issue I have had with him throughout our relationship is his really illogical thought patters. At first I thought he was just stubborn or selfish but now I am starting to believe it has to do with his epilepsy and perhaps other associated brain disorders. I began to see how sweet, loving and kind he really is but unable to stay focused and articulate what he really means. I met his mother for the first time this week and asked some questions about his childhood which re-affirmed this but I am no expert. The way his thoughts work are very different from other people. He is super creative and very talented but he can also easily say the wrong thing or something completely false when he means to say something else. It's like his thoughts get mis-arranged in his brain, his memory is terrible of course but I already know that is related to epilepsy. Having a discussion with him feels like pulling teeth for me because he cannot have a logical discussion. Most discussions with him go in circles over and over and it is VERY exhausting and frustrating. He also has ADD. Now that we will both have health insurance soon, I will take him to the doctor to see what we can do. But in the meantime, I'd like to know if illogical thought patterns are a part of patients with epilepsy?

Comments

Re: Adult epilepsy and illogical thought??

Submitted by Mutigen on Sat, 2010-05-08 - 16:59
Dear Fatima, I have limited experience with epilepsy, or at least limited experience since I have known I have it, but I have some input you may find helpful. I have found the medication my doctors have been trying to control my seizures with, is highly dubious, for me, mentally. I had a REALLY hard time keeping it together on Keppra, and have been MUCH better since they switched me to lamotrigine, but, communication and coordination are still a chore. I am still recovering from a pretty recent seizure, and more than that, the first one where I guess, it was OBVIOUS I had a seizure (tongue lasceration, dislocated shoulder), but my communication skills are lacking. I have always been a genuine and caring person, but since this seizure, my intentions have never been more pure. I wish only the best on every person and thing I encounter, and can only focus on how I can improve any situation I am witnessing, but I have NEVER been less capable of achieving this. It sounds as if your husband may be having the same experience, and you are somehow, miraculously recognizing that. Kudos to you, and all I can do is encourage you to have the most patience with him you can, and try to see and hear his INTENTIONS; as you are obviously somehow sensitive enough to do that, again, I give you all possible props, especially since, societally, I think it is safe to say we are NOT trained to do that. Keeping in mind that his medication almost definitely has side effects that are very difficult to understand if you are not experiencing them may help, and you never know, there may be a combination of meds that would be less difficult for both of you, you may want to talk to his doctor, privately, or with your husband. Anyway, I am new to epilepsy, and as such, I can tell you, it is rough trade from a myriad of angles. I applaud you for having the love and patience to maintain such a good attitude, and if there is anything I can say or do to encourage you, please let me know. All the best to you and yours, Seth

Re: Adult epilepsy and illogical thought??

Submitted by pgd on Tue, 2010-05-11 - 08:24

Everyone is different.  What might be perceived as illogical thought goes a little beyond just areas such as the many epilepsies and four ADHDs.  What much of it comes down to can be very subtle, almost invisible glitches in expressive and receptive language, short term/other type of involuntary memory challenges, involuntary loop thinking, even concepts such as talented yet learning disabled at the same time, central auditory processing disorder (CAPD), and so on.  In many cases it is clear that the person is a smart, creative, normal person yet when the person opens his/her mouth at times to speak or to carry on a two-way conversation, thoughts such as you have expressed in your post can enter the minds of some listeners (many of whom may never have heard much about the often neglected category of neurologically-based communication challenges).  That may be, in part, what you are seeing.  Communication - speech - language - hearing difficulties - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/ - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Who_Mistook_His_Wife_for_a_Hat -  It's very clear that you're trying to understand what really is going on with your husband's approach to discussion which is good.  Best wishes. - pgd

Everyone is different.  What might be perceived as illogical thought goes a little beyond just areas such as the many epilepsies and four ADHDs.  What much of it comes down to can be very subtle, almost invisible glitches in expressive and receptive language, short term/other type of involuntary memory challenges, involuntary loop thinking, even concepts such as talented yet learning disabled at the same time, central auditory processing disorder (CAPD), and so on.  In many cases it is clear that the person is a smart, creative, normal person yet when the person opens his/her mouth at times to speak or to carry on a two-way conversation, thoughts such as you have expressed in your post can enter the minds of some listeners (many of whom may never have heard much about the often neglected category of neurologically-based communication challenges).  That may be, in part, what you are seeing.  Communication - speech - language - hearing difficulties - http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/ - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Who_Mistook_His_Wife_for_a_Hat -  It's very clear that you're trying to understand what really is going on with your husband's approach to discussion which is good.  Best wishes. - pgd

Re: Adult epilepsy and illogical thought??

Submitted by tonialpha on Tue, 2010-05-11 - 09:58

Fatima,

I have had seizures since I was 13.  I was able to address things pretty well.  I wanted to complete my interest to Ecology.  I was able to complete and AA in college. I had seizures, I thought maybe once a month.  I got my driver's license.  WHile in college my friends noticed, I was not listening continuously when they were speaking, I thought I was thinking about something during class and just excused it.  THey always said I was a happy person.  I was unable to complete my BS degree in the grades I wanted to have.  I tell my teens do the best you can! 

When I worked in a police dept.,  I felt I was doing a good job.  I was just taking Tegretol. Periodically  would feel a little out of it and blamed it on medication.  When I was in my senior year in college, I felt a little disoriented and I suddenly had a dramatic seizure apparently in the hallway.  I woke up in the health room about 2 hours later.  I lost my driver's license and my job at the Police Dept. My grades were going low.  The Neurologist stated the medications may not be working.  He did an EEG and told me that it was abnormal.

Your husband sounds like a wonderful person.  My husband looks at me and repeats himself periodically, he is a pharmacologist under a lot of stress working at the FDA.  He recognizes some of my seizures and my teenagers ignore it as much as possible.  I embarrased them when I apparently had a seizure in the bathroom of a restaurant  on Mother's day and did not pick up my underwear or my hose.  My husband recognized my expression and helped me back to the bathroom.  My husband has to write things down or repeat himself for me.  I feel so embarrased and a dumby.

You are very patient, my husband's stress at work shows with his work and he is forgetful and he writes things down, too.  He is patient and you are patient.  I am repeating myself.  Pgd had good points.  No medication is completely helping.  Whem I lost my job in the Police Dept, My Neurologist suggested to go back to school and I worked in  Neurology research.  I analyzed data and the library was my buddy.  When a seizure would apparently occur I was in a place I don't remember I was in.  My boss was patient.  I went on long term disability in the 90's.

People w/ seizures have to be patient and your love is open, I have learned to be patient raising children that are now teenagers and I could go into another story on them.  Love is the thread that sows your relationship together.   I had a seizure this morning.  Writing helps me!

Take care,

Toni

Fatima,

I have had seizures since I was 13.  I was able to address things pretty well.  I wanted to complete my interest to Ecology.  I was able to complete and AA in college. I had seizures, I thought maybe once a month.  I got my driver's license.  WHile in college my friends noticed, I was not listening continuously when they were speaking, I thought I was thinking about something during class and just excused it.  THey always said I was a happy person.  I was unable to complete my BS degree in the grades I wanted to have.  I tell my teens do the best you can! 

When I worked in a police dept.,  I felt I was doing a good job.  I was just taking Tegretol. Periodically  would feel a little out of it and blamed it on medication.  When I was in my senior year in college, I felt a little disoriented and I suddenly had a dramatic seizure apparently in the hallway.  I woke up in the health room about 2 hours later.  I lost my driver's license and my job at the Police Dept. My grades were going low.  The Neurologist stated the medications may not be working.  He did an EEG and told me that it was abnormal.

Your husband sounds like a wonderful person.  My husband looks at me and repeats himself periodically, he is a pharmacologist under a lot of stress working at the FDA.  He recognizes some of my seizures and my teenagers ignore it as much as possible.  I embarrased them when I apparently had a seizure in the bathroom of a restaurant  on Mother's day and did not pick up my underwear or my hose.  My husband recognized my expression and helped me back to the bathroom.  My husband has to write things down or repeat himself for me.  I feel so embarrased and a dumby.

You are very patient, my husband's stress at work shows with his work and he is forgetful and he writes things down, too.  He is patient and you are patient.  I am repeating myself.  Pgd had good points.  No medication is completely helping.  Whem I lost my job in the Police Dept, My Neurologist suggested to go back to school and I worked in  Neurology research.  I analyzed data and the library was my buddy.  When a seizure would apparently occur I was in a place I don't remember I was in.  My boss was patient.  I went on long term disability in the 90's.

People w/ seizures have to be patient and your love is open, I have learned to be patient raising children that are now teenagers and I could go into another story on them.  Love is the thread that sows your relationship together.   I had a seizure this morning.  Writing helps me!

Take care,

Toni

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