October 10th is World Mental Health Day. When living with or knowing someone who is living with epilepsy, it can bring up a variety of different emotions including anxiety, fear, sadness, anger.
According to current statistics, 1 in 10 individuals will experience a seizure in their lifetime and 1 in 26 will be diagnosed with epilepsy. When navigating through these emotions, some feelings may seem more difficult or linger longer than one would like.
There are a few recommendations I would make as a therapist to better support your mental health
- Find support; whether this is medical, emotionally, spiritually, support can go a long way when navigating this often-lifelong condition.
- Identify coping skills that work for you.
- Breathing exercises
- Getting enough sleep
- Talking with someone
- Exercise
- Meditation
- Finding time to relax
- Finding inspiration
- And Many More…
Our staff members were asked which coping skills they utilize when dealing with emotions like stress and anxiety.
Their responses include the following:
- Taking a walk
- Temperature shift (cold or hot)
- Leaning into hobbies
- Breaking down tasks into smaller “bite size” tasks
- Self-care days
- Breathing exercises
- Chocolate treat
- Listen to music
- Putting phone on “Do Not Disturb”
- Journaling
3.
Taking care of your physical health through sleep, exercise, and eating healthy.
Overall, by taking care of yourself, you can take care of your mental health. If there is a need to talk to a professional, below are some resources. EFNENY offers a virtual Self-Management group, with trained facilitators. This group covers all this and more. If you are interested in a EFNENY support group or have questions about this blog or any topics covered, feel free to reach out to our team.
Epilepsy Foundation of NENY: Sam Champagne, LMHC, 518-456-7501
The information, including text, graphics, images, and other material on this website and provided by the Epilepsy Foundation of Northeastern New York, is for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
- Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988
- Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
- Find a therapist: psychologytoday.com
Epilepsy and Mental Health often go hand in hand. We are here to help.
