Stress – Seizures n’ Resilience Melissa Kennedy West Virginia University August 4, 2008

Purpose To help recently diagnosed epilepsy patients learn about their condition, learn resiliency skills, and discover ways to find peace of mind. This can be accomplished by using Resilience and the Three Principles: –Mind –Thought –Consciousness

Epilepsy “General term that refers to a tendency to have recurrent seizures” ( “If you have two seizures, there's about an 80% chance that you'll have more.” (

Facts and Figures There are 2.7 million active cases of epilepsy in the United States at any given moment 300,000 people have their first seizure each year 200,000 new cases of epilepsy are diagnosed each year 45,000 children under the age of 15 develop epilepsy each year 10% of the population will experience a seizure in their lifetime (

Stress and seizures Stress is a known trigger for seizures More that 60% of individuals surveyed believe that stress plays a factor in their epilepsy and seizures Of those surveyed, the longer you have epilepsy the less likely you were to identify stress as a trigger (a.k.a. – in the beginning you believe stress is a big factor in seizures) (Haut, 2003)

How recently diagnosed epileptics can feel: –Alone –Nervous –Anxious –Emotional –Confused –Uneducated –Social life will decrease –Dating will change

How can this be helped? Teach skills that will lead individuals to find peace of mind and center their thoughts Determine contributing factors and allow for more control Teach resiliency skills so they can bounce back from upsetting situations (doctors appointments, seizures, rejections, etc)

How resilience will help Allow individuals to recognize their thought patterns and alter them accordingly Minimize stress and find peace of mind Resiliency skills help individuals bounce back from upsetting thinking

Session Details Intended Audience: K-12 Location: Any type of event room where games could be played Number of Sessions: 8-10 depending on the trainers Frequency of Sessions: Bi-monthly

Sessions One & Two Get to know one another – talk about interests, music, television, or sports Games – Play games to get them up and moving around (Do this every week) Importance of bonding – These individuals are important to one another. They are experiencing the same events at or near the same time Weekly Outline –Review –Education –Game

Sessions Three Learning about epilepsy – This is a new experience and the more they know the less afraid they become. Types of Seizures - There are over 20 different types of seizure altogether. More information on these different types of seizure should be given so they understand their conditions better. Allow for discussion and stories. Duck, Duck, Goose – This will get them up and in contact with the other members of the group.

Session Four Review of Epilepsy – Remind everyone of the information covered in the previous session. Triggers of seizures – list the different triggers that have been identified (ex. Light, sleep loss, anxiety, medication disturbances) Auras – Feelings prior to a seizure or warnings before a seizure. Allow for discussion of these topics and stories Pictionary – It is another game that will draw away from the subject at hand.

Sessions Five Review of Triggers and Auras – reiterate previous information Sources of Stress – discuss sources of stress for the current group of individuals –These could be grade school students, junior high or high school students How stress can be a trigger –Discuss what can become overwhelming or lead to seizure activity Current methods of stress control –Discuss outside-in approach if applicable Charades

Session Six Review of Stress and Stress Control – review previous weeks information Define Resilience – the ability to “bounce back or recover from distress or a difficult situation Discuss how resilience will help their lives – Balance moods, lower tension, help them find peace of mind, decrease their negative thinking and increase their positive thinking Fun word games

What Is Resiliency? The power to “bounce back” or recover from a difficult situation The ability to recover from and learn from upsetting life circumstances

Sessions Seven Review basic definition of Resiliency Define The Three Principles This Weeks Fun Activity – UNO! The BEST game ever!

The Three Principles Mind – –Universal supreme intelligence behind everything, formless energy behind life itself Thought –Created, divine tool, used to direct use through our life Consciousness –Our power of existence, allows recognition of reality, different for everyone Banks, Pransky

Session Eight Review basic Health Realization and The Three Principles Finish introduction of Principles and Health Realization Have discussion on their opinion of Health Realization Fun Activity

Sessions Nine & Ten Session Nine – Discussion on how to apply Health Realization and resilience training to their everyday life.Session Nine – Discussion on how to apply Health Realization and resilience training to their everyday life. –(ex. Dating, social anxiety, after seizure situations, everyday mood changes) Discuss everyone’s goals for resilience trainingDiscuss everyone’s goals for resilience training –Increase mood, better conversations, less fear, less anxiety, less stress, aim for less seizures Session Ten – One last experience between members of the group. I believe interaction is key because all these group member are experiencing this together and they could use one another’s experience and wisdom.Session Ten – One last experience between members of the group. I believe interaction is key because all these group member are experiencing this together and they could use one another’s experience and wisdom.

Hopefully… Epilepsy won’t be so foreign Their seizure will make more sense to them Stress will be understood Resilience will be within reach Peace of mind will be easier to find Goals will be easier to reach with better understanding

THANKS EVERYONE!! I really appreciate your time and attention Banks, Sydney (1998). The Missing Link. Edmonton, AB: Lone Pine Publishing. Bazil, Carl w. (2004). Living Well With Epilepsy and Other Seizure Disorders. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. Division of Adult and Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2007). Epilepsy – Frequently Asked Questions, Retrieved July 26, 2008, from Epilepsy Foundation (2008). Epilepsy Foundation. Retrieved August 2, 2008, from Epilepsy Therapy Project (2006). All About Epilepsy And Seizures. Retrieved August 2, 2008, from Haut, S, Vouyiouklis, M, & Shinna, S Stress and epilepsy: a patient perception survey. Epilepsy and Behavior, 4, Retrieved July 25, 2008, from Pransky, Jack (2003). Prevention from the inside-out. Cabot, VT: 1st Books Library.