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Epilepsy, Seizure Disorder Or Neurological Disorder

A MyEpilepsyTeam Member asked a question 💭
Burns Lake, BC

Hi there,
There’s a big debate in an epilepsy support group on FB about these terms: seizure disorder, Epilepsy and neurological disorder. Is epilepsy a symptom of a neurological disorder? What do you think the definitions of these are and why? I do know that different countries have different definitions. I have my own idea but I’m curious to see what everyone else thinks.🙂

July 7, 2020 (edited)
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A MyEpilepsyTeam Member

The definition of a seizure is neurons pretty much short circuit, a thunderstorm happening through the brain. Sometimes psychological but more physical.

July 11, 2020
A MyEpilepsyTeam Member

Either this year or possibly 2019, in Canada they changed the definition of Epilepsy from disorder to "disease" which is something I disagree with. After all of the seizures and surgeries I have undergone, the odds of winning the lottery are much better than the odds of me ever being seizure free.

December 8, 2020
A MyEpilepsyTeam Member

Epilepsy is just one of the many types of Neurological Disorders , syndromes and Diseases
Examples
Autism , ADHD , Bipolar , Brain Tumors , Cerebral Palsy , Cervical Spinal Stenosis , Down Syndrome , Dravet Syndrome , Exploding Head Syndrome, Empty Sella Syndrome , Fisher Syndrome , Fibormyalgia , General Anxiety Disorder , Giant Sell Inclusion Disease , Hemifacial Spasm , Hypoxia , Infintile Spasms , Intricranial Cyst , Lennox-Gataute Syndrome , Lyme Disease , Menkes Disease , migraines, and many many many more.

July 8, 2020 (edited)
A MyEpilepsyTeam Member

Epilepsy is a neurological condition, which involves the existance of over active brain cells within the brain of the epileptic. A neurological disorder is a PRECICE term to define seizures brought on by Epilepsy. A group of Epileptics may be able to define their epilepsy symptoms as symptoms of a seizure disorder and be totally understood. But what if there are those among us who do not have Epilepsy? They very well may know that seizures are a side effect of certain meds. Unless the medication in question is an anticonvulsant used to control seizures we find ourselves departing from the reality of those convulsions having their root cause in epilepsy or treatment for epilepsy. I imagine taking too much illegal substances, like Heroin for example can cause seizures. Now we have another seizure condition that requires medical attention. And there are other medical conditions that have seizures as a symptom. So the term siezure disorder is not at all a PRECICE term for the neurological condition called Epilepsy. Those in the Facebook group who wish to refer to themselves as having a seizure disorder may be setting themselves up to be mistaken as having a problem with consumption of illegal drugs when that is not the case with them at all. Epilepsy has always been a neurological condition treated by neurologists. and a neurologist does not have the competancies required to work in a drug rehab center as I see it.

July 10, 2020
A MyEpilepsyTeam Member

Epilepsy & Seizure disorder are the same. They both need to go see a neurologist. But Neurological disorder is also for any brain problems

July 7, 2020

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