MENTAL HEALTH AND EPILEPSY

EPILEPSY is a chronic brain disorder that makes people prone to seizures. The disorder may  arise from  many  and varied causes, however, in many cases no specific cause can be identified.



SEIZURE> According to the MINISTRY OF HEALTH, A Practical Guide  For Healthcare  Workers 2014, a seizure is defined as a physical manifestation of a sudden uncontrolled electrical activity of the brain cortex. It usually follows a spontaneous, excessive and self-limiting neuronal discharge from the brain.




Other  commonly used  terms for seizures
>>Convulsions
>>Fit
>>Attack
>>Kifafa

 


There are four components of a seizure that can be distinguished but not all seizure types will have all four components.

*PRODROMAL PHASE>It begins a few hours or even days before the actual seizure and should not be confused with the AURA. It may include headache, irritability, insomnia, bad temper, depression or increased activity.

*AURA>This is  a warning sign. It usually shows if  a person is about to have a seizure. The feelings of the aura are  often vague and indescribable, leading to extreme fear.Strange epigastric sensations, dreamlike experiences, unpleasant smells, etc. may occur. The patient remembers the aura  very well, and although he/she will not always be able to recount it, he/she can affirm the presence of it, as it happens  before consciousness is lost.

*TREATMENT GAP
This is the difference between the number of people with active epilepsy and the number whose seizures are being appropriately treated in a given population at a given point in time, expressed as  a percentage(The Atlas of Epilepsy care  in the World, 2005). Compared to high-income countries that have a treatment gap of less  than 10%, Kenya  has an estimated  gap  of more than 80%. The World Epilepsy Atlas gives four contributing factors (the four As): lack of available, accessible and affordable health care and lack of  awareness.

 

* MENTAL HEALTH
Disorder of the mental process that result into diminished capacity to cope with ordinary demands of life.
40% of the countries do not have mental health policies and 25% do not have legistlation 680 million people, majority in Africa and Asia do not have access to a psychiatrist.
 

*PURPOSE OF BASIC NEEDS
To enable people with mental health illness or Epilepsy (PWMIE) to work and live successfully in their communities.