This post is part of the Epilepsy Blog Relay™. Follow along all month!
Shed the Light on Epilepsy was born of a passion to fight the stigma against epilepsy. Alison Zetterquist, its blogger, lived in hiding almost 35 years because of her own embarrassment (read: self-inflicted stigma) about her epilepsy. Then, one day, she realized that if people with epilepsy don’t begin opening up about it, the stigma – culturally based and a product of ignorance – will never end. So, she started telling people and was amazed at how many took it in stride. Her blog covers a good deal of ground about stigma and how to talk about it. And, as it aged, Alison began branching out into other topics about epilepsy and featuring guest blogs from Shan O’Meara. With luck, you’ll find a number that will speak to you.
Related: Suicide and the stigma of epilepsy
In her newest post, “Seizure-Free: Counting the Years,” she examines the implications behind being a certain number of months or years seizure-free and the social media notices rejoicing in it. In doing so, she highlights the hope, (sometimes false) sense of achievement, and opportunities for spreading epilepsy awareness that come from being able to distance oneself further and further from his or her last seizure.
Read more by AlisonNEXT UP: Be sure to check out the next post by Leila at livingwellwithepilepsy.com for more on epilepsy awareness. You can check out any of the Epilepsy Blog Relay posts you may have missed.
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