Come along to the EPICS (Epilepsy Partnership in Caithness and Sutherland) support group

Around 1 in 200 people in the UK has epilepsy. 

What is Epilepsy?

According to Epilepsy Scotland, epilepsy is defined as having repeated seizures - not just one - which occur when the chemical balance in the brain is upset. This brief disturbance to the brain’s normal electrical activity causes the nerve cells to fire off random signals. The result is like an electrical storm that causes a temporary overload in part(s) of the brain. Seizures happen more easily in a person with a lower tolerance (low convulsive threshold) to this kind of disturbance.

There are over 20 different kinds of seizure. Some end in seconds while others may last several minutes. People affected might lose their awareness of what is happening or where they are during a mild seizure. If the seizure is severe, they may lose consciousness altogether. Each person’s experience of epilepsy is unique.

Epilepsy is 10 times more prevalent than multiple sclerosis, 100 times more widespread than motor neurone disease. Epilepsy is not contagious, nor is it a disease or a mental illness. Between seizures the brain works quite normally.

• For further information on epilepsy, the Scottish epilepsy helpline, literature, groups network and training services, click here.

• Teachers click here for guidance on epilepsy in the classroom from the Epilepsy Scotland website.

• To read Epilepsy Action's weekly e-mail newsletter, click here.