Psychiatric Disorders Associated With Epilepsy: Overview, Psychotic Disorders, Bipolar Affective...

Overview
The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) and the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) define epilepsy as a disorder of the brain characterized by an enduring predisposition to generate epileptic seizures and by the biologic, cognitive, psychological, and social consequences of this condition. This association may reflect the anatomical and neurobiological source of both epileptic seizures and the behavioral manifestations.
Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) can play a role in the genesis of psychiatric symptoms; on the other hand, some psychotropic medications can lower the seizure threshold and provoke epileptic seizures.
Indeed, there is a general agreement that the incidence of neurobehavioral disorders is higher in patients with epilepsy than in the general population, although some authors argue that this apparent overrepresentation is due to sampling errors or inadequate control groups. Many, but not all, authors also accept the proposition that the link between neurobehavioral disorders and temporal lobe or complex partial epilepsy is particularly strong.
Go to Epilepsy and Seizures for an overview of this topic. Additionally, go to Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures for complete information on this topic.
Factors in the relationship between epilepsy and behavioral disorders

Mechanisms for a relationship between epilepsy and behavioral disorders include the following:
Common neuropathology
Genetic predisposition
Developmental disturbance
Ictal neurophysiologic effects
Inhibition or hypometabolism surrounding the epileptic focus
Secondary epileptogenesis
Alteration of receptor sensitivity
Secondary endocrinologic alterations
Primary, independent psychiatric illness
Consequence of medical or surgical treatment
Consequence of psychosocial burden of epilepsy"

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As a sufferer of both Bi-Polar (Manic) and Epilepsy, there is a lot of crossover between
the symptoms of these maladies and what is or is not 'a seizure'. Classical defintions
are like, "Are you hot or are you very warm"? The replies are ambiguous and
the treatments are even more elusive.

Then the patients feel the fleeting ruminations and how to describe them with
clinicians, families and friends. Like with mental illnesses, there are stigmas.

The doctors have symposia? and the patients sit on a teeter-totter as specialists bandie
about terms that are subject to change, each month or each year.
Different treaments that include, EDSM (sp), ECT, CBET, CBT, Anger Mgt and a litany of
mindfulness and the Wizard of ID smiling, right at you.

Help! Is anyone really in charge here? lol

FYI, I take Lamotrigine, Seroquel and a few other, things. I am either too lazy, too dumb
or too manic or I am fitted with hospital socks, a pressure sensitive bed and a long
drive with Gumby to the nearest ward some 80 miles away.

My Doctor said that this trip was unnecessary. (She has worked on locked wards before)
and knows that velcro shoes and snazzy socks, makes the patient feel disoriented.

You line up for pills, you line up to eat. The only missing is the holding of hands.
I am still enjoying pens that are not flexible and the strings on my sweats still securing my waistline.

And then some of the characterizations of what is and what is not a seizure. Easy for a doctor to say what is a seizure or not is, when they are not the ones experiencing this. "There's nowhere like here."