At times it may seem as if epilepsy and depression go hand in hand. Epilepsy may affect the ability of a person to work, drive, or participate in other activities. Statistics have shown that anywhere from 11-60% of people who have epilepsy can suffer from depression, while 10-32% can suffer from anxiety. Other people with epilepsy can also experience panic attacks. While these symptoms can be related to lifestyle, many can be attributed to the area of the brain from where the seizures have started.
Many people with epilepsy can experience emotional changes before, during, or after the seizure. The rate of depression is linked to the amount of seizures a person has. For instance, if a person experiences many seizures they are more likely to have a higher rate of depression.
It can be helpful for a person with epilepsy to have a psychiatric assessment done before considering surgery. It may also benefit an epilepsy patient to identify resources in the community that may help them.
Depression, Anxiety and Panic Attacks in Epileptic Patients
Depression has many symptoms including irritability, a loss of interest in things that used to cause pleasure or enjoyment, weight changes, sleep changes, a feeling of being tired all the time, a loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, a lack of being able to concentrate, and even thoughts of death and dying. It is very important for anyone who has these symptoms to contact a medical professional right away.
Anxiety symptoms can include excessive worry, an inability to control worry, feelings of restlessness or being on edge, easily tiring, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension or tightness, and sleep problems. Panic attacks can include symptoms such as heart palpitations, racing heart rate, sweating or shaking, difficulty breathing, a feeling of choking, chest pain, nausea, dizziness, being light headed, feeling detached from self, feelings of fear, feelings of numbness or tingling, and even feeling cold or hot. These symptoms of panic attacks tend to last about 10 minutes and can be traced to the epilepsy, and not necessarily an anxiety disorder.
Regardless of the symptoms, correct diagnosis is needed to properly help a person. Having a psychiatric assessment can help to determine a correct diagnosis as well as start the patient down a path to feeling better or recovering from any symptoms they may have.
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