16/07/2026
EPILEPSY IS MANAGEABLE JUST LIKE ANY OTHER DISEASE.
Don't get marry to her....she has epilepsy"
"You’re cursed or bewitched that's why you had a stroke"
"You’re a burden to the family now"
These words are heard often by people living with neurological conditions such as epilepsy, stroke and dementia. People living with neurological conditions are often avoided, ignored, discriminated and socially excluded not because of character flaws nor because they cannot contribute to the community. They're often mistreated solely because they're living with a neurological condition.
Community gossip about a person with a neurological condition are often louder than the disease itself causing many of these patients to stop going to social gatherings or public places. They become too afraid to ask for help and worry constantly about what people would say. The stress from being treated differently makes it hard to sleep. The social isolation leads to loneliness, negative thoughts, depression and living becomes a struggle. Their brains and health subsequently pay the price.
This is stigma!
Stigma is treating people differently, avoiding them, or thinking less of them because they have a medical condition.
It doesn't just hurt feelings.
It can worsen neurological conditions, increase stress, contribute to anxiety and depression, delay treatment, and reduce quality of life.
A kind word can change a life.
A word of encouragement can push someone to seek care.
A welcoming community can help a person heal.
This World Brain Day, let's remember that promoting brain health is also about changing how we treat others, especially those living with epilepsy, stroke, dementia and other neurological conditions.
