Epilepsy – The most common serious brain disorder in the world

Epilepsy is the most common serious brain disorder in the world:

• 30,0000 people in Scotland have epilepsy
• 1 Person in every 200 has the condition
• 10 People are newly diagnosed with epilepsy each day in Scotland
• Epilepsy is 10 times more common than multiple sclerosis

Epilepsy could affect you at any time of you life:

• You could develop epilepsy regardless of your age, sex, race, social group ability.
• You have a 1 in 4 chance of being misdiagnosed, unless you are seen by an expert.

People with epilepsy often face stigma and discrimination:

• Children tend to under-perform at school and may be vulnerable to being bullied.
• Many people have lost their jobs as result of developing epilepsy.
• Very few Scottish public figures with epilepsy talk about their condition, so it remains hidden disability.
• Prejudices about epilepsy persist which may result in social exclusion.

What is epilepsy?

Epilepsy is a tendency to have recurrent seizures. These brief disturbances in the brain’s normal electrical activity are caused by nerve cells firing off random signals. The resulting electrical storm causes a temporary overload in the brain. There are more than twenty different kinds of seizure – each person sensory experience of epilepsy is unique.