A SHORT-CIRCUITING OF THE BRAIN.

'I did not tell my friends I had epilepsy out of fear that they would treat me differently', says 21-year-old Huma*. 'I am always hyperconscious of having a seizure in front of them so I avoid getting into situations which might trigger me, like going to the movies with them or getting on a rollercoaster,' she adds.

Huma first had a seizure when she was 11, after coming off an amusement park ride. Initially, her family thought someone had done black magic on her, but multiple rounds to faith healers did not prevent subsequent seizures from occurring. The family's general physician referred them to a neurologist. Huma got some tests done on the doctor's advice, and her electroencephalogram (EEG) report identified temporal lobe epilepsy. Her parents then consulted a psychiatrist for regular medications that helped control their daughter's condition.

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders, with 50 to 60 million people estimated to be affected worldwide. A chronic neurological condition, epilepsy is characterised by recurrent seizures, with or without clouding or loss of consciousness. In plain terms, epilepsy can be best understood as a temporary short circuit of the brain. However, the stigma attached to epileptic seizures is just as prevalent as the occurrence of epilepsy. Hence, people afflicted with the condition do not talk about it openly and usually hide their diagnosis even from their closest friends.

About 80 percent of people with epilepsy belong to developing countries, but the treatment ratio is astoundingly low. In Pakistan, according to studies, only 27.5 percent epileptic persons in urban areas and 1.9 percent in rural areas are treated with anti-epileptic drugs.

The true nature of epilepsy has long been distorted by myths, fear and mistaken notions about the common neurological disorder, leading to stigma and discrimination

The impact of epilepsy is not fully evaluated and understood in our society. This is because of a lack of awareness and obsolete beliefs especially prevalent in the Subcontinent. Epileptic seizures are often perceived as djinn possessions or black magic. A sizeable portion of patients, like Huma, are taken to pirs for roohani ilaaj (spiritual healing) rather than to a neurologist or a psychiatrist.

There are multiple reasons for the absence of proper treatment-seeking behaviour for epilepsy in our society. Poverty, illiteracy, lack of knowledge about the disorder, deep-rooted superstitions...