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There is, of course, another side to this coin. If so many people have the ability to stop a seizure, it is not surprising that quite a lot find that they can make a seizure happen deliberately without too much difficulty. Many people know that they can bring on their own seizures by a direct act of will, by thinking or behaving in a certain way. Probably many more do the very same thing without realizing that they are doing so. If seizures start with a movement such as flexing a limb or turning the head, then mimicking the movement while mentally willing a seizure to occur may actually precipitate one. In one survey of people attending an epilepsy clinic about a quarter of the interviewees said they could generate a seizure at will. However, this figure is probably an over-estimate: a study of Swedish children with epilepsy found that 16 per cent could make themselves have a seizure if they tried. But, more importantly, allot these children said that they knew the circumstances in which they were likely to have a seizure.
Lucy’s father died when she was 14. At the time she was intensely miserable, and used to lie on her bed every evening crying. Lucy had epilepsy, and she found that often when she was feeling very sad she would have a seizure. She came to welcome these seizures because they meant that for a short time at least she was unconscious and therefore free of her misery.
Eventually Lucy got over her father’s death. For several years her seizures were well controlled. Then, seemingly out of the blue, one evening she started having recurrent seizures and was taken to hospital as an emergency. Afterwards, when questioned closely by her doctor, Lucy admitted that she had recently broken up with her boyfriend. The day of her hospital admission she had been lying on her bed, feeling very sad, just as she had when her father died. She had had a seizure, and felt that in the seizure she was able to escape from her sadness. Coming out of the seizure she was overwhelmed by misery once again and had allowed the sad feelings to sweep over her, knowing that it would result in another seizure . . . and another . . . and another.
People who have discovered that emotional mental states such as sadness or resentment can cause seizures, for example, can often ensure that they have a seizure by deliberately thinking about things that they know make them feel sad or resentful. It is not unheard of for children to use this kind of ploy when a parent is angry with them.
Some people find that deliberately keeping their mind blank can precipitate a seizure. You may discover quite by accident what particular movement or mental activity always seems to start a seizure off, or that you can will a seizure by manipulating your attention or thinking certain thoughts. It is very common, for instance, for people to have seizures when they are thinking or talking about seizures.
There is thus a very fine line between deliberately inducing a seizure and allowing yourself the luxury of a mental state or a behaviour that you know is likely to induce one.
It would be nice to be able to say that there is a good chance you may be able to control your epilepsy completely by using behavioural methods. Unfortunately, this is not very likely. These self-help methods are not meant to replace drugs, and you certainly should not stop taking your drugs if you practise them. But they are a useful addition to more conventional treatment.
A complete treatment of epilepsy does not involve just taking drugs. It means learning how your feelings, thinking and behaviour can all be used in the control of your seizures. You will not then be nearly so much at the mercy of your epilepsy. You will be able to gain some mastery over your seizures instead of letting them control you and dominate your life.
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How Do I Know If I Am Over- or Underproducing Acid?
If your symptoms do not respond to antacids or changing your lifestyle and eating habits, it could be that you are undersecreting.
What to Do If You Feel You Are Low on Hydrochloric Acid
1 For a few days see if your symptoms improve if you eat small, frequent, low-protein high complex carbohydrate (whole grains, vegetables, fruit).
2 Chew all food thoroughly and don’t eat when tired.
3 Don’t drink water or anything with meals.
4 Waif for at least an hour before you have tea or coffee after a meal.
5 If symptoms persist, speak to a nutritionist (see Useful Addresses) and ask about a natural source of hydrochloric acid (betaine hydrochloride).
6 See if your doctor is willing to send you for a test to determine stomach acid levels. You will probably have to fast before a test. If your doctor cannot help you, ask to be referred to a doctor who specializes in Clinical Nutrition. The British Society of Nutritional Medicine  will be able to give you the name of the doctor nearest to you. You could also ring a
nutritionist for advice. Biolab  do the Heidelberg Gastrogram Test. This entails swallowing a small capsule at the end of a string which contains a microtransmitter. The stomach acid levels are then recorded electronically.
Conditions Often Associated with Low Levels of Hydrochloric Acid
• fatigue
• acne
• IBS
• food intolerances
• disturbances of gut flora
• pernicious anaemia
• asthma
• rheumatoid arthritis
• low immune system
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What are the chances of another seizure recurring in your child? If her chances of having another seizure were 10 to 15 percent, would you consider this a high chance or a low one? The consequences of a second seizure will depend on the child’s age and the type of seizure. The consequences of a seizure could be great for older adolescents or adults if, for example, they are driving a car. The consequences of prohibiting driving are great for this age group. The younger child faces no such consequences. The consequences of everyday activities, therefore, vary with age. The toddler is unlikely to be climbing a tree, while the older child may be climbing when a seizure occurs. Risks and consequences vary dramatically with age, with activities, and also personality, as well as many other factors. Since the consequences will happen to you and your child, you (and sometimes your child) will have to be the one to evaluate their significance.
Medication is usually started to decrease the chance of another seizure. But does medication do this? It is widely believed that medication is effective in preventing seizures, and indeed, it is clearly effective in people who have frequent seizures. It is not as clear that it prevents a second seizure in a child who has had only one. A number of studies suggest that the risk of a second seizure is just as great for the child who is placed on medication as for the child who is not. Therefore, whether medication is effective in this situation remains a matter of debate.
You might want to try medicine anyway if it involved no risks or negative consequences.
Unfortunately, however, there are both risks and consequences. The cost of medication can be significant for some families. Every medication has side effects (risks and consequences). The “cost” in terms of side effects can be substantial. You have to evaluate the costs and benefits for your child.
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