Hi LOAx3

Welcome to Psych Central!

I have TLE myself, and am fully committed to increasing general knowledge in society about epilepsy. My epilepsy has impacted my life in countless ways ~ intimately and generally.

I have heard that those with TLE are at a higher risk for developing mental illness. This fact fascinated me, so I've studied the brain and brain illnesses extensively (for a "normal" person, not a doctor . The temporal lobe is in charge of awareness, storing information, emotions, basic desires (eat, sleep, sex), as well as Wernicke's speech area. When a complex seizure occurs, the hippocampus in the temporal lobe on both sides of our brains become involved in the activity. The hippocampus is the part of our brains that is responsible for storing memories. That is the reason why we cannot recall X amount of time of our activity/ behavior during the seizure. The seizures were not recorded in our memory because the area responsible for storing memories were involved in the misfiring.

One of the difficulties of TLE, other than typically being dificult to treat, is the damage that is done to our hippocampus'.

My seizures began in early childhood, but were not recognized and finally begun treatment until the age of 26. I thought that I was psychic, due to very frequent intense deja vu's. People didn't add 2 + 2 and figure it out back then. The result was extensive damage to my hippocampus in both temporal lobes. The size of my left temporal lobe was considerably small as well. Many medications and almost 10 years passed before I gave in to surgical removal of my focal point.

I have fought with major depression and self-hate throughout my life. However, I also have extenuating circumstances (S.A. and a very unhealthy family). Years after diagnosis and treatment, my cause of epilepsy has been determined to be a lesion in my brain ~ caused by an extensive fever around age 2. I had pneumonia and it was then that my parents discovered that pennicillin doesn't work for me. My parents have said that we drove for hours, up in Montreal, to get treatment for me.

I do lean towards borderline personality disorder. The surgery intensified those characteristics of my personality ~ making me more sensitive and extreme. Quick to emotions, including overwhelming.

That's my experience....best wishes to you!