Could I have some tips for transepilepsy?
Hi anon, Sorry for such a long wait; we finally have some time on our hands, so we're catching up on asks. Of course we can do that!
As is always for a lengthy tip post, look for the green if you struggle with large blocks of text; or to find/recognize key information.
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0) Just as we say with every transabled identity, take your transition gradually. If you do it all at once, the chances of people clocking you as non cisID are far higher and the chances of being able to transition (at least socially) will become far lower.
1) Epilepsy is a seizure disorder, but having a single seizure doesn't mean you have epilepsy. Epilepsy is diagnosed if you've had at least two seizures without a clear cause at least 24 hours apart. Seizures that don't have a clear cause are known as unprovoked seizures. Do research into Epilepsy in order to increase realistic looking transition. Here's a very helpful link to The Epilepsy Foundation.
2) There are different epileptic syndromes. Not everyone with epilepsy will have an epilepsy syndrome, and are much less common in adult-onset epilepsy. Still, it's helpful to look into them.
3) What caused your epilepsy? The cause of your epilepsy can affect how you experience it. Here's a useful link to help with figuring this out.
4) The epileptic experience is that of a vast variety. It's best to pick and plan your experience. Things to think about are:
+ Generalized, focal, or absence seizures
+ Length
+ Triggers, signs, and aftermath
5) Every Epileptic being has seizure triggers. Seizure triggers oftentimes are effected by what kind of epilepsy you have. Look into it, decide on some, and then Try to "Find find out" by paying attention to your "seizures" and noting down the details of what happened before. The most common trigger is bright/flashing/strobing lights or patterns, followed by stress, lack of sleep, and eating related deficits (dehydration, vitamin/mineral deficiencies, low blood sugar, ect).
6) Try to avoid your triggers. When triggers occur, or are likely to occur, allow yourself to seem nervous and uncomfortable. Ask people to accommodate you and your triggers. When you start out, say that they just make you uncomfortable or make you feel shitty physically, and that you don't know why.
7) Aura are sensory or emotional sensations that happen as a warning sign before some seizures. Recognizing and responding to yours is a tool that people with epilepsy use to reduce safety risk. Recognizing an aura does not prevent a seizure.
8) The postical state is a temporary group of symptoms that are felt immediately after a seizure, and before you feel well again. Not everyone who has seizures goes through this state, but many people do. The postical state varies in severity and in length; Common postical symptoms include exhaustion, confusion and soreness in the muscles; and the most common occurrence, according to a study done in 2020, is postical unresponsiveness.
Here's a helpful visual of postical symptoms.
9) Symptoms of a seizure look different depending on the type of seizure. Seizures are given one of three classifications. Generalized, Focal, or unknown. For the purpose of this post, we'll just be focusing on the first two.
9a) Focal seizures: Focal seizures are the most common type of seizure. Focal seizures can result from [specific/certain types of] brain activity in any lobe, but are only happening in one place. There are two categories of Focal seizures:
" Focal seizures with preserved consciousness. Once called simple partial seizures, these seizures don't cause a loss of awareness and responsiveness, also known as consciousness. They may alter emotions or change the way things look, smell, feel, taste or sound. Some people experience déjà vu. This type of seizure also may result in jerking of a body part, such as an arm or a leg. And focal seizures may cause sensory symptoms, such as tingling, dizziness and flashing lights. "
"Focal seizures with impaired consciousness. Once called complex partial seizures, these seizures involve a change or loss of consciousness. This type of seizure may seem like being in a dream. During a focal seizure with impaired awareness, people may stare into space and not respond in typical ways to the environment. They also may perform movements over and over..."
Here are some more resources on Focal Seizures:
Focal Seizures - Mayo Clinic , Focal Seizures - PaitentInfo , Focal Epilepsy - hopkinsmedicane.org
9b) Generalized Seizures: Generalized seizures effect both hemispheres of the brain. The types of Generalized seizures are:
Tonic seizures: Tonic seizures cause stiff muscles and may affect consciousness. These seizures usually affect muscles in the back, arms and legs and may cause the person to fall to the ground.
Atonic seizures: Atonic seizures, also known as drop seizures, cause a loss of muscle control. Since this most often affects the legs, it often causes sudden falls to the ground.
Clonic seizures: Clonic seizures cause repeated or rhythmic jerking muscle movements. These seizures usually affect the neck, face and arms.
Myoclonic seizures: Myoclonic seizures usually appear as sudden brief jerks or twitches and usually affect the upper body, arms and legs.
Tonic-clonic seizures: Tonic-clonic seizures, previously known as grand mal seizures, are the most dramatic type of epileptic seizure. They can cause a sudden loss of consciousness and body stiffening, twitching and shaking. They sometimes cause bladder symptoms or biting of the tongue.
Absence seizures: An absence seizure causes a short period of “blanking out” or staring into space. There are two types of absence seizures that may look a bit different. Both types of seizures are short, and people often don’t notice them at first. They may come and go so quickly that no one notices anything wrong. Or observers may mistake the symptoms for simple daydreaming or not paying attention. Typical absence seizures are the most common of the two and are shorter than non-typical absence seizures, which have both a slower onset and a slower offset, alongside a few differences in symptoms. Here's some helpful information on absence seizures.
Here are some resources on generalized seizures: Generalized Seizures - hopkinsmedicane.org , Generalized Epilepsy - Wikipedia
10) Focal seizures and Absence seizures are the easiest to transition into having. Tonic, Atonic, and Tonic-Clonic seizures are the hardest. Potential methods of transition include:
+ Self-Conditioning
+ (Safe) Dehydration -> (increases headaches, as well as headache causing sensitivities, ect)
+ Use of the Placebo effect (often goes hand in hand with self-conditioning)
