THE REASON I WROTE EPILEPSY YOU"RE NOT ALONE_An Inspirational and Self - Help Book on How to
Cope with Epilepsy

Epilepsy has been on this planet as far back as time will take us. Some of history’s finest have been quoted to have epilepsy. Not all these are confirmed as having epilepsy, but they state that Alexander the Great had epilepsy (356-323 B.C.), Alfred the Great, West Saxon King and scholar (849-899), Hector Berlioz, French Composer (1803-1869), Julius Caesar (100 - 44 B.C.), St. Paul the apostle, Socrates the Greek philosopher and mathematician, and Vincent Van Gogh the Dutch painter.

 Anyone can have epilepsy. Before we go any further let’s ask ourselves the question “what is epilepsy?” Epilepsy is caused by sudden, brief changes in a person’s brain activity. When brain cells fail to function properly due to epilepsy, a person's awareness and movements may be altered, perhaps dramatically, for a short period.

These sudden physical changes in brain activity are called epileptic seizures. A person’s brain cells usually transmit information to the rest of the body by way of orderly electrochemical signals. These signals are not transmitted randomly; they do not course pell-mell through our nervous system. They are, rather, transmitted selectively, as some messages are inhibited and others allowed to continue on.

This selectively prevents “cross talk” or message overload in the body’s communication system. Occasionally, however, a group of brain cells simultaneously “fires” or discharges a large number of electrical signals that produce a temporary rise in activity in certain parts of the brain, thus disrupting a person’s internal communication system.

This is a seizure. A seizure disturbs a person’s consciousness, much in the way a lightning storm can disturb the electrical power supply. This disruptive overload of brain activity causes the strange body movements, unusual changes in speech, blank stare, and twitching of the eyes (clonic attack extremities) which are symptomatic of epileptic seizures.A single seizure, bear in mind, does not necessarily signal epilepsy.

Epilepsy involves recurrent seizures, varying from one or more a day, to one a month or even as few as one or two year. Seizures have many causes , epilepsy being only one of them. Having one or two seizures does not mean someone has epilepsy. Non-epileptic seizures can be caused by, among other things, high fevers, and alcohol withdrawal.

Epilepsy You’re Not Alone is an inspirational and self -help book that will help educate the reader with epilepsy, so they gain a better understanding of their disorder and enable them to take charge of their own life. The book “A Guide to Understanding and Living with Epilepsy” by Dr. Orrin Devinsky, MD, which helped empower people with epilepsy by helping them to understand the importance of independence and self - esteem, and by giving them information that they can use to work toward achieving a better quality of life.

 This still-controversial approach in my opinion is by far the best on the market; unfortunately, the material is presented in a dense, academic style not easily accessible to the lay reader.

It also focuses on Dr. Orrin Devinsky’s approach as the “only way to cope with epilepsy”, excluding other, more valuable methods. The techniques in Epilepsy You’re Not Alone will help the reader build the inner power to do anything or become anything they want in life. My approaches for dealing with epilepsy will enable the reader to reform a better direction in their everyday life of living and dealing with their disorder.

Most important, this book shows the reader that they are not alone. There are people here that understand what they go through and support them. This program will help the reader build confidence in themselves. Once they establish self assurance, the reader will start to see their inner strength boost.

When one quality improves, all their other attributes will enhance also. This book will give them the tools to learn how to incorporate epilepsy into their life so the reader can live with the disorder on a positive note. The reader can make life anything they want if they have positive goals to focus on and if they have a good understanding of how to approach them.

This book gives the reader the materials they need to gain encouragement and strength to overcome having epilepsy and being able to live life to its fullest.

In this book, I want to be able to focus on certain topics related to epilepsy that not many have discussed. One of my main goals in this book is to help the reader recognize that life has much to offer. Life does not have to cease just because you have epilepsy. As I mentioned earlier, in this book we will be discussing what people go through emotionally when they have epilepsy. We will be going over different ways to help the reader emotionally, physically and spiritually.The author,

Stacey Chillemi, is a college graduate from Stockton College and has had epilepsy for twenty-three years. My background and experience interviewing hundreds of “wonderful epileptic individuals” has taught me that so many people that have this disorder feel so alone.

Many people who have written to me, have given up their goals and expectations in life. Their attitude about life is very negative. Many people have given up because they feel they have too many limitations and restraints. Countless individuals who suffer from epilepsy think that they can never accomplish their goals and dreams in life, but I am here to tell you that this is not true .

My aim in this book is to show readers how to live with epilepsy, empowering them to take responsibility for their life and well-being.Although I acknowledge how other epileptics feel living with epilepsy - I stress that there is a deeper level of human experience that is necessary in order to live with epilepsy.

Unlike other books on epilepsy, Epilepsy You’re Not Alone does not focus on the same subject matter. Instead it tries to motivate epileptics, urging readers to create their own unique journal by employing psychological and spiritual practices in combination with a variety of more traditional diet and exercise regiments. While seemingly revolutionary, my message is simple: It is important that epileptics learn how to live with epilepsy and endure it. Everything you do and say affects the people around you.

Eventually if epileptics do not learn how to deal with all these issues, they could end up really destroying themselves emotionally, physically and spiritually. One way to prevent this from happening is to develop a lifestyle that is suitable for your own needs.

The reader needs to make sure that it is a lifestyle that is going to make them happy over time. They need to be their own designer, creating pathways to a fulfilling future. There is a whole world in front of you. This world has millions of opportunities just waiting for you to encounter. It does not matter what age you are. You can achieve anything you put your mind too.

 

copyright 2001