Now I’m terrified of Epilepsy

[Anxiouslizzy2000]

I DONT EVEN have epilepsy! I’m gonna be honest though after that Disney Chanel stat died from it now I’m terrified. TERRIFIED. I’m so scared of dying and I’m terrified of randomly having a seizure. Please help me feel better

 

[adamden]

I had a feeling there would be some continued worries from this news of his passing, let me see if I can help you out here.
The phenomenon (which is called SUDEP) that this star experienced is an around 1 in 1,000 occurrence, and only happens if you already had a previous diagnosis of epilepsy. The risk increases if you miss a dose of your medication, are sleep-deprived, etc.
He had been struggling with epilepsy for all his life, so this was not a new occurrence to him or his family. Unfortunately, this 1 in 1,000 occurrence happened to take his life. Very sad.
When a reason can be found of what would cause epilepsy, more than likely, it is because of a head injury, stroke, or even a brain tumor/infection. Assuming that you don't have any of those, that lessens your chances. Unfortunately, 60% of the cases aren't able to find a cause, and multiple seizures is how people find out about their diagnosis of epilepsy, but again, the phenomenon that he experienced is because of a current diagnosis of it, and is a rare occurrence. If you haven't experienced any seizures yet at your age, the chances are very slim I would think.
I think you are good to go Lizzy

 

[Anxiouslizzy2000]

Thanks so much. My brain just always assumes that I have all of the worst case scenarios. I know even if I did develope it at some part of my life I would still have a good chance of living normally. It’s just the fear of the unknown that gets me. But I appreciate you because it did help a lot

 

[adamden]

Thanks so much. My brain just always assumes that I have all of the worst case scenarios. I know even if I did develope it at some part of my life I would still have a good chance of living normally. It’s just the fear of the unknown that gets me. But I appreciate you because it did help a lot

Just classic health anxiety telling you to fear the worst and to fear the unknown. Trust me, that's how I felt early on with my case. It's all about just accepting that we can't control what happens in life. Are you in therapy by the way? They would be the perfect place to teach you techniques on how to cope with your anxiety.

 

[Anxiouslizzy2000]

I’ve tried so many times, and I just can’t get in a good groove with one.

 

[adamden]

I’ve tried so many times, and I just can’t get in a good groove with one.

I suggest you keep trying, because that's going to be your best bet in recovering from this with techniques and tricks that will help you cope with your anxiety. Also, low dose medication might help. I'm in CBT therapy along with a low 10mg dose of Prozac, and it is an amazing combination that has helped me greatly.

 

[Anxiouslizzy2000]

I have been on 50 mg Zoloft for 3 years now. It has helped completely but just recently stopped being as effective

 

[adamden]

I have been on 50 mg Zoloft for 3 years now. It has helped completely but just recently stopped being as effective

May come down to just focusing on your therapy treatment then. Sometimes we can’t always rely on the medication to take care of us.

 

[Anxiouslizzy2000]

Very true