I have called it A Condition. Howetaver, I am on the Epilepsy Alert list because Congress wants sometimes to cut the budget for research and treatment for Epilepsy. When the do, I contact my Members of Congress. By telling my story, the need for those funds, and not making the expense of these Medications higher and higher, it helps. If everyone in this group were to do that, it might help a lot!

Leslie

AWESOME QUESTION! I think of it and I make reference to what I deal with as a disorder. A disturbance of the normal functioning of , in our case, the brain. It’s a DISORDER!

Thank you everyone for showing your thoughts and opinions on this question. It’s always been a curiosity of mine.

I have always said that I have Epilepsy, a disorder, or a condition. I have been coped over my Epilepsy since my early twenties. Epilepsy is my life and lifestyle. I stay positive for the majority of the time. My wife can’t figure out, how I can stay so positive on bad days. I tell her that I look back when I was having a good day. Whether that was in the same day or days before.

My number one rule I go by with my Epilepsy is , that I control my life , not Epilepsy.

Thanks again everyone.

I feel the same way (especially when my depression is active--like right now. The question you need to ask yourself (I keep doing it myself): Has anyone of significance told you this (not some kid in school, but rather a teacher, boss, etc.)?

I have had low self-esteem (along with anxiety disorder and depression) all of my life. It is a challenge that my older brother and my immediately younger sister both have genius intelligence and all of my siblings are working, but I cannot.

Replace those thoughts with the positives. Trust me, I know this is a major challenge, but you can do it. I was doing so too until 2021 had my neurologist call for some tests that brought back the bad memories. However, I am working on focusing on the positive and crawling out of it. I believe in you and that you are definitely not inadequate. Now tell yourself that!

When working in medicine I documented it as a disorder for patients “seizure disorder” . For myself it was just a part of me. Now that I can’t work, I’m reevaluating the whole thing.