Lessons from Living With Epilepsy

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Akshith is sharing his eJourney about lessons he learned from epilepsy

By Akshith Konda

Person with Epilepsy

Friday, November 4, 2022

I am 22 years old and living with subclinical seizures. I was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 12. In the ten years that I have lived with epilepsy, I have learned valuable lessons. I want to take action by sharing them with other people who might be going through similar things.  

Never be afraid to tell people you have epilepsy. While it might feel like hiding your diagnosis is the optimal route for you, it may not always be the best thing to do. Communicating about epilepsy and what you are dealing with is a good thing. People are learning more about it and seeing it in a positive light now more than they ever have before.  

Understand your limits and communicate them to your friends and family. This helps you, and others, understand where you are in all aspects of your life and your relationships. Work together to agree upon what works best for you. Compromise is key to a healthy relationship especially when it comes to disabilities. Growth does not occur without change and change does not occur without compromise. Be willing to change and to understand your boundaries to get where you need to be.  

Finally, I think one of the best things you can do is to accept that you have epilepsy and try to understand it better. I see it as a gift, not a curse, and move forward with my life. You only live once so make your life worth living.  

Try to understand that while you won't be moving at the same pace as you had originally planned, you’re still here. Use caution when interacting with the world, but don’t let epilepsy stop you! 

Reviewed By: Sara Wyen

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