Wellbeing
Having epilepsy can have a huge impact on a person's wellbeing including their mood, sleep and relationships.
Ways you can improve your wellbeing
In this section we look at ways you can improve your wellbeing such as exercise, diet and having a support network. Looking after your wellbeing can help you to reduce seizures and function better in your daily life.
Sleep and epilepsy
Having a good night's sleep helps our brains to recover from the day's events, so that we can function well the next day. For some people with epilepsy a lack of sleep can make seizures more likely to happen, for others having seizures at night can make them feel tired during the day.
Diet and nutrition
A balanced diet from different food groups helps the body and brain to function, helping us to stay healthy. This may help reduce the risk of seizures for some people with epilepsy.
Exercise and epilepsy
How exercise can help your overall health and wellbeing, and how this may also help your epilepsy.
Relationships and sex
Many people with epilepsy have fulfilling relationships with a partner. However, epilepsy may affect relationships for some people, and problems with sex are common for both men and women with epilepsy. There are various ways to manage these problems and find support.
Complementary therapies
How complementary therapies can help to promote your wellbeing and underlying health as well as reduce your stress levels.
Looking after yourself
Here's some ways that you can look after yourself and your epilepsy. We have information around complementary therapies, diet, exercise and support networks.
Mood and epilepsy
Epilepsy affects everyone differently. Some people with epilepsy may find that problems with their mood can affect their epilepsy and how it is managed. How you feel may be different and your view of epilepsy may also change over time.
Anxiety
Everyone feels anxious at times. When you are frightened or feel threatened, your heart beats faster, your muscles tense and your body prepares you to ‘fight’ the threat, or to run away from it – ‘flight’.
Depression
We all feel low and depressed sometimes, without it being a medical problem. Depression becomes a problem when the unhappy feelings don’t go away and it affects our daily life: eating, sleeping or being able to get out of bed.
Links between epilepsy and mood
For some people, their epilepsy and mood problems are not connected, they just happen to have both conditions. However, potential links are to do with how epilepsy affects your life as well as with your brain, your genes and your family history.
Memory
Memory can be one of the key issues that affects people with epilepsy. This can be for many reasons, including the type of seizures they have, the effects of medication, the effects of epilepsy on concentration or mood, lack of sleep, age, or the effects of epilepsy surgery.
Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP)
For many people, epilepsy is a condition which can be well-managed and has little or no impact on their life. For others, ongoing seizures mean that epilepsy has a long-term impact on them and their ability to have a ‘normal life’. Like some other medical conditions, epilepsy can be a cause of death in some individuals, although this is not common.
Safety and risk
Keeping safe is important for everyone, whether or not you have epilepsy. If your seizures are controlled by treatment, your safety may not be affected. But if you continue to have seizures, safety may be an issue.
Alarms and safety aids
Some people with epilepsy find it helpful to consider safety aids or equipment that might help them with day-to-day life. For example, an alarm, or monitor, that can alert family or friends when someone has a seizure.
Safety and risk templates
Our templates make suggestions about what the risks may be because of someone’s seizures, risks associated with living conditions (around the home), and risks associated with outdoor activities.
Keeping safe at home
If your seizures are controlled by treatment, your safety may not be affected. But if you continue to have seizures, safety may be an issue. Some safety issues may not be relevant to you or you may have your own ideas about what would make situations safer for you. Here are some suggestions to help you think about your safety at home.
ID cards and medical jewellery
Some people with epilepsy choose to wear or carry with them a medical identity (ID) card or medical jewellery that says they have epilepsy.
Safety and risk
Risks due to epilepsy depend on what someone's epilepsy is like. Getting good seizure control and staying safe are ways to help reduce risks.
Looking after yourself
Information for people with epilepsy on complementary therapies, diet, exercise and support networks.
Seizure alert dogs
The organisation Support Dogs trains dogs to support owners with specific needs including epilepsy. Seizure alert dogs are specially trained to warn their owner before a seizure starts, so they can get help or move to somewhere safe.
Risk assessment
You can ask your local social services for a 'needs assessment', which looks at your safety at home. Needs assessments are often carried out by an occupational therapist (OT). They will visit you at home to see what help, support or safety equipment you might need because of your epilepsy.