#neam

Epilepsy doesn’t scare me as much as the way society reacts to it. seizures n symptoms are tough, yes, but what drains more is the silence, the continuous stress, the way people shift their eyes like it’s contagious, or worse like it’s inconvenient

We live in a world where people are taught to look away from anything that doesn’t fit their picture of “normal” Disability, illness, difference

society doesn’t want to see it unless it’s packaged as inspiration or tragedy. If you’re not a hero or a victim, you’re ignored :'/

People’s refusal to acknowledge that my life, as a one, is just as real, messy, n meaningful as anyone else’s

Ppl w epilepsy lose jobs bc employers don’t want “liability”. Students get marked as too needy bc authorities didn't learn how to deal w normal kids that still can seize at any time, n just threw the "y didn't look disabled" line when dehumanizing them.

Friends fade away bc they’re “uncomfortable” or traumatized!

It is being treated like half broken radios instead of human beings

Epilepsy is not shameful. The shame belongs to a society that still treats it like a dirty word. The shame belongs to systems that make medications unaffordable, workplaces that discriminate, and cultures that whisper instead of asking real questions

I don’t want pity. I don’t want applause. I want people to stop acting like epilepsy is invisible until it disrupts their comfort. I want honesty. I want space to exist without editing myself down to smth palatable

When I say "I'm epileptic" that means I'm 24/7 chronically epileptic n not just when a seziure occurs, seziures are just the visual abnormal respond of the brain's mess I'm living w everyday, n STILL IS when I get my ass off n function

As you guys have probably figured out, I mostly try to keep my blog free of anything personal. I'm here to have fun with my wonderful fandom friends and escape reality above all else.

That said, if there is one thing I want to take time to spread awareness of as an individual, it's a disorder that his played a role in my life since I was a child.

For those of you who don't know, every November, National Epilepsy Awareness Month (NEAM) has been recognized since 1969, officially recognized by congress in 2003.

I won't bother you by listing out all the ways my epilepsy has affected me in the last twenty years of my life, but I will say it's something that makes this month incredibly important to me.

Epilepsy can be found in people of any age, race, or gender and develop at any point in someone's life. It's unlikely you haven't met or won't ever meet someone who's faced the struggle of regulating their epilepsy or a similar neurological disorder. If you aren't educated on ways to help someone if and when they have a seizure, please consider taking a few moments to read up on what you can do to help them during an episode, if you're so inclined. And of course, reblog to spread the word.

I was thinking about it, while we were driving around town today. I kept seeing all the "breast cancer awareness" stuff still up, at nearly every other business. And there's days at businesses as well, to wear pink for it.

But where is that stuff for our month? All the purple, the stats about Epilepsy. About that famous kid, Cameron Boyce, that died from it, or all the others who are in the shadows. There's 1 in every 10 people with Epilepsy. People you wouldn't even expect.

I sometimes love seeing people's reactions after I tell them, how their faces change, bc they had no idea. My newest job is giving me a hard time now about it, bc I told them. If I hadn't, it would've been even worse when I'm on the floor having one, and they see my MedAlert band, that tells them I knew about them. It's a lose/lose situation. We can be denied jobs for it (they aren't supposed to, but we all know it still happens). I haven't been able to drive for 6 years now, and I'm in a small city with no public transportation. I'm sure there's others who are worse off.