I think it was my mother-in-law who, upon my husband (then my fiance’) sitting my in-laws down to tell them that I had been diagnosed with Epilepsy…this after a long illness, coma and hospitalization… suggested that perhaps if I ate more bananas, ‘this would just go away’.

Hypnosis, marijuana, neurotherapy (not banana consumption as far as I know)…all can be called alternative therapies for Epilepsy, but the question is: do they work and are they truly safe? And, most importantly, is there an alternative therapy that is right for you?

I sat through a conference a few months ago and a psychologist who claimed to practice neurotherapy on Epilepsy patients spoke. But, when put on the spot, he admitted in his years of practice, he had only ‘treated’ three people with seizures. When I began to chat about the presentation with fellow participants at the conference, like me…they were mortified. How could this doctor be encouraging us to abandon our medications and come to him for massage treatments and hypnosis? (All of which he claimed he could bill to our insurance companies)

The bottom line, IF you want to explore any alternative therapies, it’s best to discuss your ideas with your neurologist/epileptologist. If you venture out on your own, you could make a very tragic mistake. There are treatments out there. I’ve met several people in person and online who have taken the leap and they are making progress towards seizure-reduction. But, as brutal as these anti-seizure medications are on our systems, they serve a purpose. Frankly, if the day ever comes when I could dream my seizures away or someone could actually convince me to ‘relax’ enough that my seizures would stop…sign me up!