Blame the winter months…the cold and the snow, or call it the post-holiday blues. Whatever you believe might be happening, if you have Epilepsy and you experience the symptoms, chances are good you are suffering from depression.

-Persistent sad or empty feeling

-Difficulty sleeping (sleeping too much or too little)

-Insomnia (early morning awakening)

-Feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and worthlessness

-Feelings of guilt

-Loss of interest or the ability to enjoy oneself

-Loss of energy or fatigue

-Difficulty concentrating, thinking or making decisions

-Changes in appetite (overeating or loss of appetite)

Those are just a few of the many common symptoms. And, like Epilepsy…there are different types of depression. Researchers have noted a higher incidence of depression among patients with epilepsy than the general population or others with chronic conditions such as diabetes. Believe it or not…for a long time, depression was thought to be a complication of Epilepsy. Either way, your situation has answers, so you must trust your neurologist and discuss this with him/her.

And, we are used to misconceptions and mysteries about our illness. The same goes for depression. According to Dr. Andres Kanner, a specialist on Epilepsy at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago “Patients with Epilepsy usually respond well to anti-depression medication and with lower doses. There is a lot of misperception that if you use an antidepressant, it will worsen the seizures. That is not really so.”

Some great info on depression and Epilepsy:

http://www.epilepsyfoundation.org/answerplace/Medical/related/Depression/epilepsy.cfm

http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/depression-symptoms-and-types

http://www.vnstherapy.com/

http://www.med.nyu.edu/cec/living/disorders/depression_epilepsy.html