Social aspects of epilepsy in childhod.

'The child has been happy and in good health when suddenly a strange, terrifying feeling comes over him, the world goes black and he awakes to find himself in bed, the family excited and worried, and the doctor beside him. Big words are spoken, medicine prescribed, and he is made to stay in bed for the rest of the day with a dull headache and nothing to do. What happened, why all the excitement? He does not know, and something in the atmosphere gives him the feeling that he should not ask. The episode is never mentioned again.... Every day he is asked how he feels.... It does come again with the same feeling. He tries to run to mother, tries to call for help, but the awful blackness is upon him. Again he wakes to family excitement, but this time the doctor is sewing up a cut on his forehead, or he finds his tongue is very sore. . . . He hopes he will never get another one. But others follow, and he has them with increasing terror at the onset, and in between he is in more and more continual dread of them. Life becomes centred around these miserable spells, visits to doctors and hospitals, needles, medicines-everything that a boy wants to avoid. Furthermore, he is no longer allowed to go to school or to ride his bicycle. Why? A silly excuse for an answer. All the other children do, why shouldn't I? She doesn't like me. The other children act strangely towards him now....'