National Epilepsy Awareness Month

Sharing facts about epilepsy helps raise awareness and stop stigma surrounding seizures. By educating the public, we can promote understanding and encourage support for individuals living with epilepsy. Knowledge empowers communities to provide better care, offer assistance during seizures, and create a more inclusive and compassionate environment. We've compiled some facts about epilepsy and seizures for you to share on social media or with your friends and family to help them learn more. 

• 1 in 10 people will have a seizure and 1 in 26 will develop epilepsy during their lifetime.  

• There are 3.4 million people living with epilepsy in the United States; 470,000 of them are children. 

• Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that can affect any one of us regardless of race, age, or gender.  

• Seizures are a symptom of epilepsy. Not all seizures are the same. Many people with epilepsy have more than one type of seizure. 

• Misunderstanding and misinformation about seizures contribute to continued feelings of stigmatization and negative outcomes for people with epilepsy.¹ 

• People with epilepsy may experience "felt" stigma, which leads to shame about their condition and fear of discrimination if they talk about it.² 

• Felt stigma was linked to higher seizure frequency, younger age at epilepsy onset or longer duration, lack of knowledge about epilepsy, and younger age.⁵

• Felt stigma can reduce the quality of life even when seizures are well controlled.⁶ 

References: Epilepsy & Behavior 2015 ¹, Epilepsia 2007 ², Epilepsia 2022 ⁵, Epilepsy & Behavior 2021 ⁶