Brain Ablaze

Why Does No One Talk About Catamenial Epilepsy? - Katie Nunn Despite the prevalence of catamenial epilepsy, with half of women of childbearing age displaying signs of it, it is understudied with no real, tried and true treatment.

For #InternationalWomensDay, it is vital to shine a light on the intersection of neurology and reproductive health. Catamenial epilepsy, or where seizure patterns are tied to the menstrual cycle, affects ~40% of women with epilepsy. #EpilepsyAwareness

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Does your #epilepsy make you struggle with the "Spotlight Effect", where we constantly overestimate how much people notice our #seizures? The truth often hits harder; everyone is too worried about themselves to worry about us. #EpilepsyAwareness

Today is #IWantYouToBeHappyDay! Whether it’s a seizure-free day, meaningful EEG data, or just a morning where you feel like yourself again we hope you find something today that puts a smile on your face. #EpilepsyAwareness

I spill it all on this new episode of the podcast. Answer all your personal questions. Listen now.  podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

Reasonable accommodations for #epilepsy aren't "extra perks." Flexible start times or seizure-safe lighting are tools that create a level playing field. When barriers are removed, everyone is given the same opportuninity to succeed. #EpilepsyAwareness

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PST Epilepsy Support Group Session - Brain Ablaze If you are looking for support, we have it. Our PST Support Group Session meets every month on the 26th at 6 PM PST | 9 PM EST. We hope to see you there!

Still looking for advice on how to thrive with #epilepsy? Our virtual Support Group meets later today. #EpilepsyAwareness

Hope to see you there!
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Do you agree that "Jeez, I'm just kidding" is a red flag 🚩? If a "joke" relies on mocking a #seizure or belittling a #disability, it isn't humor and this response is just a way to avoid accountability for being offensive. #EpilepsyAwareness

DYKT #stroke is a leading cause of #epilepsy in adults? The good news is that many strokes are preventable. -- To learn more, ask your medical team: "What specific steps can I take to lower my stroke risk?" #EpilepsyAwareness

An Epileptic's Guide to Tongue Injuries - Brain Ablaze One of the common injuries that people with Epilepsy face are wounds to their tongue as a convulsive seizure can sometimes lead to gnashing of the mouth. In this article, I’ll provide some pointers on...

While it is physically impossible to swallow one's tongue during a seizure, tongue bites are common during some seizures. -- Have you ever bitten your tongue during a seizure? #EpilepsyAwareness

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Looking forward to it. 💜

043: Trigger Discovery - The Brain Ablaze Epilepsy Podcast In this episode, we provide tools anyone can use to discover which Triggers affect their seizures.

One's neurologist only sees a snapshot of one's life during an appointment. Journaling one's seizures can provide a better extended picture. -- If you tried journaling your seizures, what did you track and was it useful? #EpilepsyAwareness

Get started!
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Stigma around #epilepsy has survived for thousands of years; proving that it won't just disappear with time. Thank you for doing your duty to dismantle it through continiuously sharing your epilepsy stories and demanding that we all be heard. #EpilepsyAwareness

Red lanterns hang.

Happy Lunar New Year! How will you raise #EpilepsyAwareness in the Year of the Horse?

Jo Mackenzie, Author at Brain Ablaze

#epilepsy is a constant balancing act. ⚖️ Like being Goldilocks: you can’t have too much, you can’t have too little; everything has to be just right. -- Have you read Jo Mackenzie's take on dealing with the condition, yet? #EpilepsyAwareness

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For #WomenInSTEMDay we honor the late Dr. Charlotte Dravet, the French psychiatrist and epileptologist who first described #Dravet Syndrome in 1978. Her research allowed for earlier diagnosisis and specialized treatment for thousands of children. #EpilepsyAwareness

International Epilepsy Day

TalkAboutIt.org is the place to watch, learn & come together!

A football stadium is filled with a purple crowd.

An estimated 3.4 MILLION people in the USA live with #epilepsy. 🧠 To put that in perspective: that’s enough to fill EVERY #NFL stadium in the country all at once 1.5 times over! #EpilepsyAwareness #SuperBowl

Say it loud! #LGS

A purple ribbon with zebra stripes.

February is #RareDiseaseMonth! While #epilepsy itself is not rare (affecting 1 in 26 people), there are hundreds of rare Epilepsies (like #Dravet Syndrome, #LGS, or #CDKL5) that require specialized care and unique research. #EpilepsyAwareness

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Have a wonderful Super Bowl weekend everyone! Just remember not to party too hard because we need your help to raise #EpilepsyAwareness on Monday, International #EpilepsyDay.

Is it time to retire the term "differently abled?" Some say it sugarcoats the reality of being disabled because people with #epilepsy don't have "different" abilities. They say we have a medical condition that creates barriers in a world not built for us. #EpilepsyAwareness

"Still NOT a cure" next to a hand holding a cannabis leaf.

While cannabis (i.e. CBD) has become a vital tool for some people with #epilepsy, it is often surrounded by "miracle cure" rhetoric that doesn't match the reality of living with the condition. -- Has cannabis been suggested for your seizures? #EpilepsyAwareness #NationalHempDay

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A very happy birthday to Julia Garner! DYKT the American actress (best known for her critically acclaimed, award-winning roles as Ruth Langmore in the Netflix series Ozark and Anna Delvey in the miniseries Inventing Anna) struggled with #epilepsy as a child? #EpilepsyAwareness

Or denying that it isn't a big deal. 💜

When it comes to #epilepsy, denial is not a viable strategy. Frequent, uncontrolled seizures can further lower the seizure threshold, making future events more likely and harder to treat. -- Have you struggled with denial during your epilepsy adaptation? #EpilepsyAwareness

The doctor/patient is the foundation of care, but it isn't always perfect. Have you ever had a major disagreement with your medical team? How was the disagreement resolved? #EpilepsyAwareness

It’s OK to wonder about a life without #Epilepsy, just don’t dwell on it. Looking at the "alternate timeline" can be a form of grief which needs its time. -- Do you often find yourself grieving a possibly different life? #EpilepsyAwareness

032: What is Normal? - The Brain Ablaze Epilepsy Podcast One thing that hinders us in the search for true acceptance is the idealization of what really is "normal". Is normal what we see on TV, read in magazines, or consume on Social Media?

"Normal" is a statistical myth mapped to a theoretical "average" person who doesn't actually exist. Many people with #epilepsy are measured against this non-existant standard. -- Has anyone suggested that you be more "normal"? #EpilepsyAwareness

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When a person hears "seizure," we bet they picture a tonic clonic seizure. Seizures are varied though. Some seizures are so subtle that even doctors can't recognize them without the help of testing equipment. -- Do your seizures involve convulsions? #EpilepsyAwareness