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Adult son with epilepsy

Hi, my 24 year old son was diagnosed with epilepsy when he was 11 years old. Just lately he has been having seizures more frequently and this has had a detrimental effect on his confidence. He is currently unemployed and becoming more and more depressed because he is so restricted and cannot live as independently as he would like.
I desperately want to help him but things are complicated due to the strain his condition puts on our relationship. He sometimes goes out and drinks too much, for example, and I become frantic.
Can anyone recommend any support groups/counsellors or general advice in the Manchester UK area?
Thanks so much :-)
I desperately want to help him but things are complicated due to the strain his condition puts on our relationship. He sometimes goes out and drinks too much, for example, and I become frantic.
Can anyone recommend any support groups/counsellors or general advice in the Manchester UK area?
Thanks so much :-)
Replies
http://www.youngepilepsy.org.uk/about-us/
Jackie
Thank you, I will check this out.
I've spoken to my son on several occasions about the risks of drinking alcohol, and most of the time he takes heed of this advice. Sometimes though, when he is feeling under a lot of stress, he will put himself at risk and drink too much. This is obviously a huge concern for me, but he's 24 and I am powerless to physically stop him when he makes poor choices. In the past I've resorted to turning up at the pub where he drinks with his friends and pleading with him to go home. As you can imagine, that tactic has caused a lot of arguments and fallouts. I've also sought counsellors, spoken to his consultant, emailed him relevant information, and encouraged him to participate in support groups. Nonetheless, sometimes he gets so low that he goes ahead and drinks anyway. Lack of sleep and over-excitement are other triggers. He is fully aware of all this.
I guess the main point I was making in my original message was the difficulty he has in living an independent life. I wondered if anyone had advice or could share their own experiences of struggling with independent living and/or overcoming this precise struggle. I think it's the fact that he is unable to drive, live alone, travel etc that makes him get so down. He doesn't have many seizures; sometimes he can go a few months without having one, but the risk is always there and really effects his confidence and wellbeing.
Thanks.
Have you researched your local offer? If you google 'Manchester local offer' a website will come up which advertises organisations, events and information about what's available in your local area. Most of which are usually free and offer some really useful advice.
My younger sister has Williams Syndrome, she's 19 so we're beginning to look into independent living options for her. So far we've contacted a couple of organisations which we found via our Hampshire local offer and it's proven quite useful!
I'm also an early years teacher and I so often suggest play groups or speech and language drop ins for the parents in my class, all of which are also provided by our local offer.
Hope you come across something that helps...
i have epilepsy since I was 12 yrs old ( now 52)
when I was younger I felt smoothered because my parents were so worried about my welfare.They were very loving and only had my best interests at heart.
The more you try and stop him the more he will rebel.
I know it’s hard but try to take a step back and let him have his own independence but let him know that you are allways there for him when he needs you.
he has to learn for himself what he can/ can’t do. Instead of being told.
This is just my experience and how I felt when I was younger
i hope this post doesn’t offend you in any way
My saving grace was Epilepsy Action. I contacted them and became a volunteer and my confidence grew. Eventually when my seizures were controlled, I started to train as a counsellor and now work as a Parent Advisor with Scope. Knowing I have the support of these charities has really helped me and extended my support network.
Give your son sometime and eventually he may want to consider joining a support group in your area. Or if you are still worried about how he is feeling, maybe get in touch with the organisation Mind, who could offer support for his mental health.
Best wishes
Sara
@Sarac_Scope has given you some great advice and if you can, please get your son in touch with Epilepsy Action.
MIND might be able to help with his mental health and they also have information about a lot of resources which might be useful for your son's alcohol addiction.
Scope
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