Epilepsy Research Papers
Introduction
The aim of this paper is to identify the concepts of labelling and stigma, and how they affect the lives of people with epilepsy. Epilepsy is a chronic physical disorder that affects the brain and causes repeated seizures. 500,000 people, or 1 in 100 of the population, in the UK are epileptic. Epilepsy can develop at any age, although it normally starts in childhood. Although there is no treatment to cure epilepsy, in 70% of cases anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) successfully control seizures. The disorder affects the lives of individuals with epilepsy (IWE) in many practical ways, such as driving restrictions, potential difficulties with pregnancy and caution with alcohol consumption. There is advice and support, along with …show more content…
It looks at the interaction between 'private troubles ' and 'public issues ', and takes into account the factors within a particular society which determine the experience of the individual and the role that they 'act out '. The sociological imagination is a way of thinking about how people view themselves in relation to others, and how these individual perspectives culminate to form both the self-identity, a perceived insight (correct or incorrect) of how other people perceive another individual, and how these culminate to produce majority attitudes, which vary over time and in different cultures (Wright Mills,1959). This forms the foundation of assumptions of 'normality ' in each particular society (Rosenhan,1972), that stems from the common and therefore dominant attitudes of the majority. This is the basis for how the role of the individual is constructed depending on certain aspects, for example their gender or ethnic identity. This leads to an expectation of behaviour patterns, which individuals then ‘act out’, consciously or unconsciously in order to conform to this particular role. Differences between people exist, but not all differences are identified as negative in all cultures. For example, moderate alcohol consumption in the UK is considered acceptable behaviour, although not everyone participates for various reasons, most notably religion, but in some …show more content…
Stigma: Notes on the management of spoiled identity. Penguin: St Ives
Joachim G and Acorn S (2000). Stigma of visible and invisible chronic conditions. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 32(1): 243-248.
DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2648.2000.01466.x [Accessed 07 January 2014]
Johnson M and Webb C (1995). Rediscovering unpopular patients: the concept of social judgment. Journal of Advanced Nursing 21(3): 466–475
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.1995.tb02729.x [Accessed 04 December 2013]
Kilinç, S and Campbell, C (2009). “It shouldn’t be something that’s evil, it should be talked about”: A phenomenological approach to epilepsy and stigma. Seizure. Vol.18(10): 665-671
DOI: 10.1016/j.seizure.2009.09.001 [Accessed 03 January 2014]
Link P and Phelan J (2001). Conceptualizing stigma. Annual Review of Sociology 27(1): 363 – 385 DOI: 10.1146/annurev.soc.27.1.363 [Accessed 04 December 2013]
NHS Choices [website] Available at: www.nhs/conditions/epilepsy [Accessed 27 December 2013]
Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008). Code of Professional Conduct. London: NMC
Parfene C, Stewart T, Tricia Z. King T (2009). Epilepsy stigma and stigma by association in the workplace. Epilepsy & Behavior. 15:
The aim of this paper is to identify the concepts of labelling and stigma, and how they affect the lives of people with epilepsy. Epilepsy is a chronic physical disorder that affects the brain and causes repeated seizures. 500,000 people, or 1 in 100 of the population, in the UK are epileptic. Epilepsy can develop at any age, although it normally starts in childhood. Although there is no treatment to cure epilepsy, in 70% of cases anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) successfully control seizures. The disorder affects the lives of individuals with epilepsy (IWE) in many practical ways, such as driving restrictions, potential difficulties with pregnancy and caution with alcohol consumption. There is advice and support, along with …show more content…
It looks at the interaction between 'private troubles ' and 'public issues ', and takes into account the factors within a particular society which determine the experience of the individual and the role that they 'act out '. The sociological imagination is a way of thinking about how people view themselves in relation to others, and how these individual perspectives culminate to form both the self-identity, a perceived insight (correct or incorrect) of how other people perceive another individual, and how these culminate to produce majority attitudes, which vary over time and in different cultures (Wright Mills,1959). This forms the foundation of assumptions of 'normality ' in each particular society (Rosenhan,1972), that stems from the common and therefore dominant attitudes of the majority. This is the basis for how the role of the individual is constructed depending on certain aspects, for example their gender or ethnic identity. This leads to an expectation of behaviour patterns, which individuals then ‘act out’, consciously or unconsciously in order to conform to this particular role. Differences between people exist, but not all differences are identified as negative in all cultures. For example, moderate alcohol consumption in the UK is considered acceptable behaviour, although not everyone participates for various reasons, most notably religion, but in some …show more content…
Stigma: Notes on the management of spoiled identity. Penguin: St Ives
Joachim G and Acorn S (2000). Stigma of visible and invisible chronic conditions. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 32(1): 243-248.
DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2648.2000.01466.x [Accessed 07 January 2014]
Johnson M and Webb C (1995). Rediscovering unpopular patients: the concept of social judgment. Journal of Advanced Nursing 21(3): 466–475
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.1995.tb02729.x [Accessed 04 December 2013]
Kilinç, S and Campbell, C (2009). “It shouldn’t be something that’s evil, it should be talked about”: A phenomenological approach to epilepsy and stigma. Seizure. Vol.18(10): 665-671
DOI: 10.1016/j.seizure.2009.09.001 [Accessed 03 January 2014]
Link P and Phelan J (2001). Conceptualizing stigma. Annual Review of Sociology 27(1): 363 – 385 DOI: 10.1146/annurev.soc.27.1.363 [Accessed 04 December 2013]
NHS Choices [website] Available at: www.nhs/conditions/epilepsy [Accessed 27 December 2013]
Nursing and Midwifery Council (2008). Code of Professional Conduct. London: NMC
Parfene C, Stewart T, Tricia Z. King T (2009). Epilepsy stigma and stigma by association in the workplace. Epilepsy & Behavior. 15: