When I was a teenager I experienced depression . I started to go to an Epilepsy Support Group, through my local Epilepsy Foundation. That’s what helped me learn and find support through my group and staff . Helped me learn to cope and found out that we all struggle with similar and issues with our Epilepsy. That to me would be the best therapy. Well in my case it was great therapy. Maybe introduce her onto this site.

Today I’m doing better and well coped . But I do have my days when I feel a little Blue , but not majorly depressed. After awhile I do come out of my blues.

@A MyEpilepsyTeam Member
I find hobbies to keep my mind on so the depressing thoughts don’t come to mind

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A MyEpile...

Any health issue can cause depression that needs help to alleviate. To lift self out of not feel it's inevitable so can't be helped just from epilepsy. Please talk to Dr for best way to clear mind of this. In my own 52yrs of many seizures never heard of link to depression till 20 year after epilepsy diagnosis. Puzzled as to why a condition not even fatal would cause this. What matters is if depression occurs then must get help too.

My Epileptologist nurse practitioner said I needed to see someone. My stresses are evident. My family have a lot stresses , I do too. I am looking thru insurance for someone.

I see a psychologist. I went from weekly to monthly sessions after a couple years. I also suffer from Complex PTSD and Bipolar 2. My RTL epilepsy has resulted in severe emotional dysregulation, making the effects of the PTSD and Bipolar 2 worse. My epileptologist eventually put me on Lamictal and Klonopin, both are mood stabilizers as well as anticonvulsants. The road to improvement is uphill, but I've come a long way. There may be an Epilepsy Society in your state, there's one in Michigan, that offers different programs, like virtual support groups and other resources that are very helpful. They may be able to steer you to mental health professionals specifically familiar with the psychological effects of epilepsy. My psychologist is trauma-trained, as well as working almost exclusively with epilepsy patients, so I'm getting the help I needed to fight my other demons. If you think intervention is necessary, it probably is. I've worked in the past with psychiatrists and their staff "counselors" with no appreciable improvement, they just threw pills at me, with no real effect. I was struck, seeing a psychologist for the first time, how in tune she already was to my situation. There was a lot of digging and a lot of questions I'd never been asked by those former counselors, and it took a psychologist's assessment and a definitive diagnosis before meds were recommended. Just like opting for an epileptologist over a neurologist, I now prefer a psychologist over a counselor. I encourage intervention over misery, because the misery is brutal, and potentially harmful. Follow your intuition.