Epilepsy disease
Epilepsy is a common ailment. According to various sources, 1–5 people per 1000 population are exposed to it. The etiology of the disease is not fully understood, has a tendency to chronic course. With an unfavorable course, epilepsy can lead to epileptic dementia. The disease develops at any age, both from a few months old and in advanced years. However, in most cases, the onset of the disease is recorded at a younger age up to 20 years.
The disease appears suddenly according to the pattern: seizures, mental equivalents of seizures, personality changes that are persistent and progressive. The most characteristic symptom of epilepsy is a seizure, which occurs both suddenly and after precursors. In some cases, seizures replace one another. This pathological condition is called epileptic status and is life-threatening epileptic, because depression of the respiratory center and asphyxia are observed. The first signs of status epilepticus require immediate medical attention.
Epilepsy seizures can be either large or small. With small seizures, a short-term shutdown of the patient’s consciousness occurs. This phenomenon lasts several seconds, while the epileptic does not fall. Accompanied by minor convulsions. In the absence of seizures, it makes sense to talk about another symptom, abscess. Sometimes, instead of seizures or against their background, mental equivalents appear: mood and consciousness disorders. Patients are in a state of sad anger.
During periods of seizures, epileptics are unhappy with everyone, gloomy, picky and irritable. Some of their ideas are delusional. Such conditions last from several hours to several days. Often fear is added to other sensations, and attacks of euphoria are much less common. Suffering from epilepsy during seizures can begin to abuse alcohol or go aimlessly on the principle of “where your eyes look.” A certain part of patients with alcoholic binges or prone to vagrancy are epileptics.
Consciousness disorders in epilepsy disease manifest as a twilight state of consciousness. Mania of persecution or greatness are sometimes observed. Being in the twilight state, people become dangerous to others, because they are prone to destructive actions. The murders committed against the background of such a state are distinguished by their particular sophistication and cruelty. Special conditions have a certain similarity with twilight. At this time, mental disorders and perceptual disorders appear. The patient is in a state of fear, bewilderment, he imagines that he and the surrounding objects change their shape or size. There is the effect of deja vu (already seen), jame vu (never seen). This condition lasts as much as twilight.
In the case of a prolonged course of the disease, epilepsy, traits that are not previously inherent in humans are formed. An epileptic character develops. Patients become more selfish, the circle of interests gradually narrows, all the colors of life fade, and feelings become dull. All his attention is concentrated on his own health and petty interests. Sometimes the inner cool attitude towards others hides behind tenderness and affection.
The nature of the sick person is petty, picky, pedantic. They constantly teach and seek dubious justice. An epileptic is a person of extreme conditions. Friendliness and humanity are sharply replaced by open hostility and hatred. One of the most striking character traits of an epileptic is a tendency to bouts of violent anger. Attacks of rage arise abruptly, for no reason and are very demonstrative. At the same time, a certain inertia and reduced emotionality are inherent in patients, which externally manifest themselves in the form of vindictiveness and revenge.
Thinking with epilepsy disease becomes viscous, there is a tendency to detail. Over time, the patient is not able to separate the important from the details, which leads to the fact that he focuses on the unnecessary. Switching from one thought to another is given to him with great difficulty. A noticeable decrease in memory, a depletion of vocabulary, which leads to the fact that the patient operates with an extremely small number of especially important words and sentences. Some are prone to diminutive words. All of the above symptoms are not necessarily present in one person. The presence of only a few particularly characteristic symptoms, which always have the same type of manifestation, is sufficient.