Epilepsy and society

Abstract

Epilepsy is probably the neurological condition more common in the world, involving between 1-2 % of the world's population. WHO estimates that about 60 million people in the world suffer from it, of which 40 million live in developing countries. Patients with epilepsy suffer since the beginning of the humanity history of a stigma that led to barbarian and antiscientific practices in antiquity and the middle ages. Despite advances in knowledge of the genesis of disease persist in our days a series of myths and attitudes that cause that the patient with epilepsy is not fully accepted in modern society. These include feelings of overprotection by family, rejection by teachers and colleagues, as well as a series of discriminatory practices in adulthood in relation to employment and maternity leave, among other possibilities.