DMM89
26-11-16, 12:28
I am a 27 year old male who suffers from epilepsy and for approximately 8 years I have experienced mind blanks when communicating with people. It previously has not been a huge issue as the mind blanks came and went very quickly and I considered it to be me briefly losing my train of thought so I dismissed it as a minor side effect of the medication I was taking for my epilepsy and I was able to lead a very normal life.
Just over 2 years a go I gained employment where I worked a lot more hours, it was more stressful and communication was key. The mind blanks then became far more frequent, lasted for a longer period of time and as a result of this I was unable to do the job. After appointments with my GP and a Neurologist it was concluded that I was possibly suffering from mild seizures that resulted in me briefly being unable to communicate. My GP prescribed me a new drug added to the medication I was already taking to try and combat this. I was a bit concerned about this as I felt my symptoms were not completely consistent with other sufferers of this condition.
Pretty soon after I left that particular job, I gained employment in a job where the hours were similar but while communication is very important, it's not as intense and for a while my mind blanks became less frequent. As I have taken on more work and have been given more responsibility they have become more frequent again and have dictated pretty much every aspect of my life. I worry about them pretty much constantly and even simple things like going to the shop can be an ordeal in case my mind goes blank when I get to the counter. It dictates everything I do at work, I often avoid situations that involves talking to other people in case it flares up and it is making me miserable.
I discussed this with my GP and explained recently my symptoms have felt like less than a passing mind blank but more of a feeling of an attack and sheer panic and terror. She conceded that it may be a case of me suffering from anxiety or panic attacks but could not offer treatment until my neurologist could rule out that it was linked to my epilepsy.
I appreciate this has been a bit of a ramble but I am basically trying to find out if anyone else has suffered from these symptoms, whether it could be linked to anxiety and what they have done to combat these symptoms.
Just over 2 years a go I gained employment where I worked a lot more hours, it was more stressful and communication was key. The mind blanks then became far more frequent, lasted for a longer period of time and as a result of this I was unable to do the job. After appointments with my GP and a Neurologist it was concluded that I was possibly suffering from mild seizures that resulted in me briefly being unable to communicate. My GP prescribed me a new drug added to the medication I was already taking to try and combat this. I was a bit concerned about this as I felt my symptoms were not completely consistent with other sufferers of this condition.
Pretty soon after I left that particular job, I gained employment in a job where the hours were similar but while communication is very important, it's not as intense and for a while my mind blanks became less frequent. As I have taken on more work and have been given more responsibility they have become more frequent again and have dictated pretty much every aspect of my life. I worry about them pretty much constantly and even simple things like going to the shop can be an ordeal in case my mind goes blank when I get to the counter. It dictates everything I do at work, I often avoid situations that involves talking to other people in case it flares up and it is making me miserable.
I discussed this with my GP and explained recently my symptoms have felt like less than a passing mind blank but more of a feeling of an attack and sheer panic and terror. She conceded that it may be a case of me suffering from anxiety or panic attacks but could not offer treatment until my neurologist could rule out that it was linked to my epilepsy.
I appreciate this has been a bit of a ramble but I am basically trying to find out if anyone else has suffered from these symptoms, whether it could be linked to anxiety and what they have done to combat these symptoms.