Bringing Epilepsy Out of the Shadows

Bringing Epilepsy Out of the Shadows

Epilepsy is the most common serious brain disorder in every country in the world. At anyone time forty million people may have epilepsy. It knows no age, racial, national or geographical boundaries. It is universal. However, even though it is so widespread, epilepsy continues to be misunderstood which often results in devastating social penalties for those with the condition.
 
Raising awareness of epilepsy is the number one priority of the Epilepsy Scotland. We have therefore, through the International Bureau for Epilepsy, joined forces with epilepsy organizations throughout the world and the World Health Organization in an international campaign called Out of the Shadows.
 
The Global Campaign is the most ambitious attempt in history to raise awareness of epilepsy as a universal brain disorder, to overcome the misunderstandings and stigma attached to the disorder, and to bring medical and social care within the reach of millions of neglected people.
 
Most importantly, this is not a one-off public relations exercise, but a continuous programme of communication designed to raise awareness in the long term. There is an urgent need to make people aware of the entire range of physical consequences some relatively minor, some fatal -and especially to alert people to the emotional and social consequences that can follow a diagnosis of epilepsy.
 
Although epilepsy can wreck lives, much of this suffering can be avoided. With early diagnosis and treatment, 70% of patients will lead normal lives. This often does not happen because services for people with epilepsy are poor even in developed countries. Very few governments or health departments have any plans for epilepsy at all.

In 2001, around 1,000 epilepsy-related deaths were recorded in the UK, and 114 of these occurred in Scotland. There has been little recognition of the syndrome S.U.D.E.P. – Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy – which is between 3-4 times higher than the annual number of cot deaths.

Epilepsy Scotland is determined to make epilepsy a healthcare and social priority and therefore continues to push the Scottish Executive, Health Boards and Social Work Departments to develop policies to improve services for people with epilepsy. By continually targeting the media, Epilepsy Scotland, along with other epilepsy organizations, aims to raise the level of awareness among the British public to a level never achieved – to bring epilepsy out of the shadows and into the open.

Source: © Epilepsy Scotland