Epilepsy: Top tips and tricks from our staff

In honor of Epilepsy Awareness Month, some of the nurses and social workers who support the Boston Children’s Hospital Epilepsy Center share their top epilepsy tips. Chris’s tip: Get support! Chris Ryan, LCSW, recommends that you consider therapy for your child or family — or both. Kids with epilepsy are at higher risk for behavioral and mental health conditions, like anxiety, depression and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They may also struggle with the lifestyle restrictions epilepsy can cause. A therapist can help your child learn to cope with these conditions. Chris says joining a support group can also help kids with epilepsy — and their families — learn how to adjust to living with epilepsy. “Kids benefit from learning how to cope with epilepsy and knowing how to talk about it with friends,” says Chris. “Even kids as young as 7 pick up on differences, so their peers may ask questions like, ‘Why are you going to the nurse three times a day?’ And most kids don’t know how to answer.” Chris says a support group can help everyone in the family learn how to handle these kinds of questions. “I pitch support groups as a good way to learn to make healthy adjustments. A diagnosis of epilepsy is big news for a family, and this extra support can help everyone in the family process through it.” Boston Children’s Epilepsy Center offers a number of support options for families navigating the challenging course of epilepsy treatment, from...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Caregivers Diseases & Conditions Health & Wellness epilepsy epilepsy awareness month epilepsy center Source Type: news