Epilepsy: A New Approach
$18.96
This book is a unique collaboration between a gifted writer with epilepsy and a skilled physician who has brought new insight into the treatment of this condition.
At the age of twenty-six, when Adrienne Richard was seven months pregnant, she was diagnosed with epilepsy. For years she took anticonvulsant drugs to control her seizures, but she wanted to wean herself from the powerful drugs if she could. During the first ten years without medication she had only one seizure. Her goal was to live seizure-free.
Ms. Richard practiced yoga, biofeedback, and mind/body techniques in the eighties to help her reach that goal. While writing an article for a magazine based in California, she learned of Dr. Joel Reiter, who was exploring epilepsy self-care in his clinical practice and through his groundbreaking research.
Epilepsy: A New Approach combines Adrienne Richard’s own inspiring story of overcoming a debilitating condition with Dr. Reiter’s up-to-the-minute medical knowledge of diagnosis and treatment. This self-help program offers people with epilepsy and those who love them a chance to regain control of their lives.
Publisher : Walker Books
Publication date : July 1, 1995
Language : English
Print length : 288 pages
ISBN-10 : 0802774652
ISBN-13 : 978-0802774651
Item Weight : 12 ounces
Dimensions : 5.48 x 0.65 x 8.26 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #1,388,523 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #192 in Epilepsy #2,764 in Neurology (Books)
Customer Reviews: 4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 37 ratings var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });
Gert Bo Thorgersen –
An interesting book by also containing seizure looking cases not caused by epilepsy.
10 years ago I bought and read the book and now after 3 weeks ago having a seizure, the first one after 2 ½ years has passed by without drugs, then I went on for again reading some of the many books about epilepsy which I bought during the years 2004 – 2014.Back in 1975 I had a seizure, the first one in my life, which came 14 months after a skull fracture by a motorcycle accident at which my helmet fell off. But after this seizure not needing drugs, and no problems by driving motorcycle. But then in year 2003, ¾ of a year after with my Thai wife having moved from Denmark to Thailand, I there had become so frustrated that I then went to a neurologist and told him that I was feeling stressed as the result of my wife’s fighting against my driving motorcycles, just as in Denmark, so that I was afraid it might result in seizures. But the doctor didn’t understand my talking about stress, and then ¾ of a year later it resulted in a motorcycle accident as the result of a seizure; the first one after 29 years. And then the doctor told that it was epilepsy, and put me on a drug against epilepsy.The doctors here in Ching Mai, who are having no ideas about stress therefore only are looking at seizures as caused by epilepsy, while I already 35 years ago bought the first book about stress. For me the drugs which I got didn’t help and besides resulted in awful side problems, so after being disabled by an accident now 8 years ago I then stopped using these drugs.By now again, after 10 years ago, reading this book I find it to be really excellent and especially important concerning stress. And when I then looked on the inside cover and found that it was printed way back in 1995, I started wondering why only few of the other epileptic books which I owe et all mention stress. Furthermore, we also in this book are reading about the importance of some vitamins and minerals which nearly also is totally missing in most the other books. And in the hospitals the doctors don’t mention a single word about vitamins and minerals, and if I then talk about vitamins and minerals, they answer that it’s dangerous to take too much, and absolutely not each day in the week.For example, when I back in 2004 caused by pain got a mistake about bone marrow in the right arm, and then by X-ray this actually showed up in being the case, so by surgery the problem was cured. But no talk to me about the importance in daily taking calcium and magnesium, measuring for this in my body.Among other the book is good by for example in the chapter 3, “The Biomedical View of Epilepsy”, showing different brain waves states measured by electroencephalogram, EEG, and telling for what the different frequencies shows. And especially in one case comparing the waves for a person during respectively an absence seizure and after the treatment. And concerning the partial (focal) epilepsies, in a small drawing showing the positions in the brain, as for example for the frontal lobe, the speech area. And informing about which drugs Reiter in connection to the different cases then had put the patients on.Of course we have got many new drugs since those mentioned in this book, especially in the chapter 5, but as he writes, all of the epilepsy drugs has side problems, and therefore ought not to be used longer than during 2 years.In the chapter 4, “Medical Technology and the Diagnosis of Epilepsy”, where we among other learn about pseudoseizure which is caused by severe emotional problems resulting in abnormal discharge of neurons in the brain. And as Reiter tells, most of these pseudo seizure patients which he has seen, recovered quickly. Just like me, as I immediately continue in heavy mathematic, discussions, or what else it might be, after waking up again, and my EEG also shows out in being normal, but the doctors tells me that it’s epilepsy, when I start talking about stress, and/or missing vitamins and minerals.The 2 – 3 weeks before my seizure 3 weeks ago I actually told other persons that I was awful stressed, and besides missing my daily vitamins especially B6, B12, and E, and the minerals Calcium, Manganese, and Magnesium. Reiter tells us that during 2 years, when then working in an emergency, room 7 patients with seizures were brought in, and he writes that in such cases patients shall not just have epileptic dugs, this might result in a more seizures. First give these after it has been found that a person actually is having epilepsy, and in these 7 cases actually only 2 of them was found to have epilepsy.And actually when I 3 weeks ago, after in the morning having had the mentioned seizure, and then later on the day, as the result of the color and pain in the right arm shoulder, we vent to the hospital for having it scanned. And when leaving the hospital, I got two drugs against pain and bacteria, as I was told. But then both on the 3rd day, and the 4th day I was hit by seizures. After this I went to Internet and there then found that both of these drugs are meant for epilepsy, so I stopped using them.On the side 48 we read about a 38 year women who as the result of continuous seizures and a large amount of anticonvulsant medications given no result, then by airplane was brought 300 miles to the hospital where Reiter worked. But when he came to her bed it was too late to right away getting an EEG for measure her, so he sat down by her bed, took her hand, and asked, “What’s wrong?”. Tearfully she replied, “My husband left me”.In the chapter 8, “Understanding Strange Experiences”, among other we there read that historical person as for example Alexander the Great, Dostoyevsky, Peter the Great, Moses, Jonathan Swift, Julius Caesar, Lewis Carroll, Napoleon, Mohammed, St. Paul, and Van Gogh, all famous for their work, and believed to have had epilepsy. Swedenborg is also mentioned but only for being a great religious leader. But this Swede who died in 1772 is a much more extraordinary person than just for the religion. Before his “contact” started with heaven, he was the chief engineer in Sweden, and wrote around 50 science books covering everything, stones, ion, human hearth, and much more. But rather extraordinarily then when being in Göteborg, 200 miles away from Stockholm, he then when being at a meeting he realized, and told the other persons, that now a burning had stared in Stockholm, and how it went on until it was stopped. And when after 2 days’ information from Stockholm arrived then his information showed in being correct. And the Swedish quin then asked him if he could get information to her from her brother who now had died in Poland. Next day Swedenborg came with information from her dead brother which choked her as he told details which only she and had brother knew.In the book we read about other cases parallel to the one just mentioned, for example about a young woman who after a car accident then started having seizures, and then besides got the ability to read other people’s thoughts. And then for testing her ESP she then was brought to a dog track and there consistently succeeded in predicting the winner. But her ESP stopped after her drugs began to work.Parallel to these cases concerning ESP, in the book we many time find mentioned two of the book written by Oliver Sacks, among other “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat”, a very interesting book, as all of the books printed by him.But finally, the book which I here have written about is good even though now being 21 years old, and to me especially because of the much writing about how stress can result in seizures, words I never, here in Chiang Mai, have heard a doctor talk about, or just mention.
Amazon Customer –
great resource for understanding treatment options
As a patient told by my neurologist that my only seizure treatment options were two choices of medication (after my first seizure at age 21), this book gave me valuable information that my doctors never provided. The descriptions of biofeedback therapy and self-treatment–by a person having firsthand experience with them–are balanced by a real doctor’s perspective and advice about medications and treatment options. This isn’t a book full of quack advice and questionable herbal remedies (not that they might not help, but a scientific approach is often lacking in such approaches to medical conditions). The information about various seizure conditions and their possible causes is general, but helpful to those whose doctors shove medications at them without much explanation. As I believe others have stated, the information about medications has been rendered incomplete since new drugs came into use. Nevertheless I highly recommend the book as still relevant, especially for anyone seeking to reduce or eliminate his/her reliance on medication to treat seizure conditions.
Leslie Jones –
Epilepsy A New Approach
This book is informative and offered quite a bit of food for thought about management of epilepsy with and without medications. It seems to cover all areas of possible management, a good overview for anyone dealing with this disease.
Concerned Mom –
very informative
I bought this book after reading the other reviews. My son was just diagnosed with epilepsy and only has had a few seizures. The doctors really don’t give you very many details about epilepsy. I found the book to be very informative and easy to read. I liked that they talked about other people and what their experiences were and how they learned to deal with them instead of just in medical terms. It answered a lot of questions I had and I will use some of the information to help my son.
justme. –
This book is a GODSEND to me.
I have always had seizures since I was a small child. I had no idea I could do more for myself than take the pills I was given by my doctor. I no longer have seizures since reading this book. I have lost my drivers on occasion due to seizures!!!The information in this book should be more available to everyone!!! Doctors should be telling people some of the information in this book during their visits. The nutrition section was extremely important to me.
Sheryl Fitzharris –
Excellent Book
Very informative and empowering. A must read for anyone who is challenged with Epilepsy and for those who are the support team for anyone who has Epilepsy.
Robin –
Good book but not for me
This book had some good info in it but it also had a lot of stuff that was useless for me. E.g. the info on drug dosages and half lives was relevant.This would be a good book for someone who is having a hard time dealing with their (or a loved one’s) diagnosis and needs a basic primer. It spends a lot of time on “hand holding” IMO trying to make you not feel depressed and look at yourself as a “whole person” yada yada. Not that that stuff isn’t true, I just don’t need it.
dottie –
informative and useful for understanding epilepsy
yEs, informative and useful for understanding epilepsy.
libby –
before i decided to purchase this book i hopped it was going to be in condition because i will be using it to show my doctor and specialist.I also hoppded that it contained the information that i need,I have had epilepsy for many years, this book has been a great help to me.I would reconmend it to anyone that maybe intrested.
Rakesh Singh –
Nice and informative book…
Glen Miller –
If you got epilepsy it’s a good book in helping understanding and learning
DJSAR –
Great product
Mrs Dorothy Lynn Fowles –
Excellent