Shine the Light Sunday: Epilepsy Basics + Seizure First Aid (Week 1)

International Epilepsy Day is Monday, February 9th, 2026.

Some illnesses shout. Others whisper. And epilepsy is one of the most misunderstood “whispers” because what many people think they know comes from movies, myths, or one single kind of seizure.

Today’s Shine the Light is a gentle, practical spotlight: what epilepsy is (in everyday language), what seizures can look like, what to do if you witness one, and a handful of myths we can lovingly toss into the pond and let sink.

What Epilepsy Is (and What It Isn’t)

Epilepsy is a neurological condition that involves a tendency to have recurrent seizures. A seizure is a sudden burst of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Seizures can look very different from person to person, and even from episode to episode in the same person.

One reason epilepsy is misunderstood is that the word “seizure” makes people picture one specific scene. But epilepsy has many forms, and seizures do not all look the same.

Epilepsy is not:

• something someone can “snap out of”
• always visible
• always the same from one person to the next
• a moral failing, a character flaw, or a reason to treat someone as “less than”

Also, stigma is real. The World Health Organization notes that epilepsy is common worldwide and that discrimination and misinformation still create serious barriers for people living with it.

Seizures Don’t All Look Like Shaking

Many people only recognize a convulsive (shaking) seizure, often called a tonic-clonic seizure. But seizures can also look like:

• Staring spells or “zoning out” for a few seconds (sometimes mistaken for daydreaming or ignoring someone)
• Brief confusion or “not quite there” moments
• Repetitive movements such as lip smacking, rubbing hands, or picking at clothing
• Sudden emotion or sensations like fear, déjà vu, a strange taste or smell, or a wave of “something’s off”
• Changes in awareness where the person may still be moving but is not fully aware or responsive

This matters because when we only recognize one type, we accidentally label people as rude, dramatic, intoxicated, “spacing out,” or not paying attention when something neurological might be happening.

The Part People Don’t See: After the Seizure

Sometimes the seizure is the storm, and the aftermath is the flood.

After a seizure, a person may:

• feel confused or disoriented
• be exhausted or need to sleep
• have a headache or feel sore
• feel embarrassed, scared, or emotional about what happened

If you are helping someone after a seizure, think steady and simple. A calm voice helps more than a thousand questions.

Helpful words:

• “You’re safe. I’m here.”
• “Take your time.”
• “Do you want me to call someone for you?”
• “Would you like space, or would you like me to stay nearby?”

Not-so-helpful words:

• “What is wrong with you?”
• “Were you possessed?”
• “You should…” (right after a scary event is not the moment for a lecture)

Seizure First Aid (Simple, Practical, and Calm)

If you ever witness a seizure, you do not have to be a superhero. You just have to be steady. The CDC’s guidance is clear and practical.

If someone is having a convulsive (shaking) seizure

1. Stay with them and time the seizure.
2. Ease them to the ground if they appear to be falling.
3. Make it safer: clear nearby hazards and place something soft under their head (like a folded jacket).
4. Turn them gently onto one side if possible, to help keep the airway clear.
5. Loosen anything around the neck that could restrict breathing, and remove eyeglasses if you can do so safely.

When to call emergency help

Call emergency services if:

• the seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes
• seizures repeat without full recovery in between
• it is the person’s first seizure
• there is injury or breathing trouble afterward
• the seizure happens in water
• the person is pregnant or has diabetes
• the person does not return to their usual state after a reasonable time

Myth-Busting: Let’s Clear the Fog

Myths about seizures are common, and some of them are genuinely dangerous. Here are a few truth swaps worth sharing.

Myth: “Put something in their mouth so they don’t swallow their tongue.”

Truth: Do not put anything in the person’s mouth. It can cause injury, and a person cannot swallow their tongue during a seizure. (This is stated in major first-aid guidance and discussed in medical literature.)

Myth: “Hold them down so they don’t hurt themselves.”

Truth: Do not restrain. Make the area safer instead and protect the head.

Myth: “All seizures look like shaking.”

Truth: Many seizures do not involve convulsions. Some look like staring, confusion, or repeated motions.

Myth: “If the person seems ‘fine’ afterward, it was not serious.”

Truth: Some people recover quickly. Others experience significant fatigue or confusion after. You cannot measure impact only by what you can see.

Myth: “Epilepsy is rare.”

Truth: Epilepsy is common worldwide, and misinformation is still a major barrier for many people.

Patterns and Triggers (Gently, Without Blame)

It can be tempting to ask: “What caused that?” Sometimes there is a known reason. Sometimes there is not. And it is important not to turn a person’s seizure into a debate or an interrogation.

That said, many people notice seizures are more likely in certain situations. The Epilepsy Foundation lists commonly reported triggers such as lack of sleep, illness, stress, and for a smaller percentage of people, flashing lights or visual patterns.

International Epilepsy Day Is Monday, February 9, 2026

Tomorrow is International Epilepsy Day, observed on the second Monday in February. It exists to raise awareness and push back against stigma with truth, dignity, and community.

If you share one thing from this post, share this:

Encouragement for Anyone Living With Epilepsy

If epilepsy is part of your story, you are not “too much.” You are not “dramatic.” You are not a burden for needing safety, patience, and understanding.

Unseen conditions often come with unseen work: planning, pacing, explaining, worrying about being misunderstood, and trying to keep life moving even when your nervous system has other plans.

If faith is part of your world, here is a gentle reminder: you are fully seen and fully loved. Your value does not shrink because your body is unpredictable.

Hop In Here

If you want a supportive corner of the internet where unseen illness is understood, you’re invited:

• The Pond (on the website): encouragement, prayer, and community posts
  https://theflyingfrog.store/the-pond/
• Froggy Friends Support Group (Facebook): a safe place to share and be supported
  https://www.facebook.com/groups/1063733189287976

And if you like encouragement you can hold in your hand, my shop helps support what we’re building here (the content, the community, the ripple effect):
https://theflyingfrog.store/

If this post helped you, I’d love to hear from you.

• What is one myth about epilepsy you’ve heard that you wish would disappear?
• Is there something you want Week 2 to cover about living with epilepsy (stigma, what to say, faith encouragement, support tips)?

If you’d like, leave a prayer request or a praise report in the comments.

Join the email list here: https://theflyingfrog.store/join-the-email-list/

References (for readers who want to look things up)

• CDC: First Aid for Seizures (what to do, what not to do, when to call for help)
  
  https://www.cdc.gov/epilepsy/first-aid-for-seizures/index.html
  
• Epilepsy Foundation: Seizure First Aid Resources / Training and emergency help guidelines
  
  https://www.epilepsy.com/recognition/first-aid-resources
  
• Epilepsy Foundation: Seizure Triggers (commonly reported patterns like sleep problems, stress, illness, flashing lights for some)
  
  https://www.epilepsy.com/what-is-epilepsy/seizure-triggers
  
• Epilepsy Foundation: Photosensitivity (flashing lights trigger seizures for a small percentage of people with epilepsy)
  
  https://www.epilepsy.com/what-is-epilepsy/seizure-triggers/photosensitivity
  
• WHO: Epilepsy Fact Sheet (global context, stigma, and impact)
  
  https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/epilepsy
  
• International Epilepsy Day (official date and awareness info)
  

  International Epilepsy Day

  
  

• PubMed: Recognizing and refuting the myth of tongue swallowing during seizures (medical discussion of the myth and safe first aid)
  
  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33080482/