Customer Reviews

Epilepsy and the Family: A New Guide

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I checked this book out at the library, as a person with Epilepsy- controlled by medication, because the title grabbed me: Epilepsy and the Family. When I opened it I was surprised to see the chapters titles literally cover Marital Problems, Sexual Activity, Personality Changes and Violence- as actual chapter titles. As if people with Epilepsy all are prone to the following three sexual dysfuntions: Transvestitism, Fetishism & Exhibitionism. There is actually a chart describing those as sexual dysfunctions described in people with Epilepsy. I'm not sure how the Author gets from A to B with his thoughts.

The books main focus in each and every chapter was how a person with Epilepsy would effect the lives of their spouses, siblings, parents, as well as parents of someone with Epilepsy- ALL relationships were viewed in only a very negative way. If If I had no prior knowledge of Epilepsy and had bought this book to learn of its effects on a person and their family and friends, I would cry in horror and have a sense there was no hope and becuase of Epilepsy they would live a violent, angry, bitter life trying to hide their "defect" from co-workers and basically everyone. The front flap literally says, "it offers chapters tailored to the special stresses of..." (everyone in their life.)

It gave no hope. It gave a very negative view of how bad reality could become, and how someone with Epilepsy could make it become at that. I feel bad that the Author views his patients in such a dark light.

I, as a person having Epilepsy am sad this book is in print- as this in no way shape or form was how my Family I was raised in struggled, or how my family I am in with my husband and daughter deal with. I am a regular person, with an electrical glitch. I do not view Epilepsy as defining me, as the Author implies.

If you are interested in worse case scenarios that could occur if any feeling is taken to a fanatical level there are a million examples of that. Other than the tainted, very negative view of a person living life with Epilepsy provided by the Author, there is nothing to be gained from this book: the information as far as Epilepsy is outdated.

I am stunned the Harvard University Press published such an opinionated book as something/someone that had any authority speaking about Epilepsy. At some point someone needs to call out Professors of Neurology or anyone who is strengthening the stigma asssociated with their specialty. Or teaching people such a negative approach towards patients with the disorder, as the patient and the person with Epilepsy will be the one to suffer from the negative views of the Author, all the readers of this book will be left with.