Post-traumatic stress disorder in epilepsy: clinical case

Abstract

Background: Epilepsy has many faces and affects the person at the psychic-soma level. The function of doctors is not only to cure the disease, but also to take into account all the surrounding factors (social, family, school) to facilitate the harmonious development of the sense of identity. Material and methods: Patient T was sent to the National Center for Epileptology at the age of 15 with an established diagnosis of epilepsy dating back 4 years. The evolution of seizures took place in two stages with marked decrease in their frequency under the effect of treatment. The patient benefited from psychoanalytic psychotherapy sessions with a frequency of once a week for 6 months. Results: Emotional and psychological trauma was addressed only during psychotherapy and the result was a clear improvement in the condition. Subsequently, spontaneous seizures were rarer, but emotionally triggered seizures occurred; they gradually became less common during psychotherapy. Conclusions: The psychotherapeutic approach to epilepsy in this case demonstrates a close connection with the patient’s life events, but also with his history and subjective position. In conclusion, epilepsy, like other pathologies, is at the border between neurology and psychopathology.