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Friend with Epilepsy
Fri, 03/24/2017 - 16:55Topic: Family & Friends
HI,
One of my best friends is an Epileptic. He got his first diagnosis about 5 years ago and has had issues on and off ever since. His life is a real struggle and lately he has been getting increasingly despondent and frustrated. He is 30 years old, and maintains a realatively active lifestyle when he can. However, the frequency of his seizures has been increasing to the point where he cant really leave his house that often. I'm very worried about him and his mental well being at this point. The biggest frustration to him has been the fact that he can't relate to anyone about his issues. His own family, his friends, even strangers are quick to offer tidbits of advice about his condition but no one seems to understand all the deep seeded fears, frustrations and pains of living with Epilepsy. I am trying to get him involved with communities like this online or in-person group meetings where he can maybe talk with people who understand him better. Does anyone have advice for this or have encountered something similar? I really appreciate any feedback, assistance, thoughts. Thank you very much.
Comments
Hi! We all should be so lucky
Submitted by Kevin from Calgary on Tue, 2017-03-28 - 02:20
Hi! We all should be so lucky to have such a good friend as you are to him. I understand his lack of personal relationships with people who have epilepsy. I have only met one person with epilepsy (that I know of) and he was having a seizure at the store where I worked.I can recommend to you to just be the kind of friend that you are: caring, listening to his problems and just being there for him. One thing to remember is that you have your own needs too. If you let him lean on you too much you will feel overwhelmed and want to leave the situation leaving him without you as a good friend so make sure you tell him about your life and it's issues as much as you are comfortable with. Friendship is a two way street. Your plan to get him involved with others is a great one but if you are always there for him to lean on what is his motivation to even try? Make sure you aren't morphing into his own tiny community; that wouldn't be beneficial for either of you. Thanks for being a good person, I wish you well.Kevin
You're a wonderful friend. I
Submitted by rrdutt on Thu, 2017-03-30 - 21:24
You're a wonderful friend. I've always wanted to talk to people about my seizures. Just don't let him get too down on himself and anger towards himself . I feel this way a lot cuz I can't remember things very well and feel stupid. Make sure he laughs and smiles. And make sure he knows that sometimes crying a little can sooth you. Take care!
Please tell him that I get it
Submitted by ddca1990 on Sat, 2017-03-25 - 23:36
Please tell him that I get it and that I would like to listen to him if he would like. Many times I begged for someone that could relate to me that we could do more of a personal way. If he would like tjrthe3rd@Hotmail.com and we cant go from there