The names of people and Agencies in this study have been changed to protect their identities.

Case Study #1014 on Epilepsy

SL came to see me in March 2002 because she wanted some changes in her life and mostly because she wanted to see if EFT would help her with the epileptic seizures she had experienced for the past 10 years.

Even though SL was on medication she still continued to experience seizures approximately fortnightly.  SL had recently enrolled in college to continue her education and the medication was effecting her ability to function in this learning environment.

First thing I did was telling SL that I was not sure if EFT would help with the symptoms, however it would help with her emotions regarding the problem.

I got SL to give me her life history and when the epilepsy started.  She told me that the seizures had started 10 years ago and that she was in a physically abusive relationship for the past 15 years.  Her husband would attack her physically at the slightest provocation and she experienced that trauma on a regular basis in her marriage.   She felt that she could not leave the relationship because of their children.

When she developed epilepsy, the physical beatings stopped altogether, however the emotional and mental abuse continued.  Whether a part of SL developed epilepsy as a coping mechanism and way to circumvent the physical abuse or whether it was a result of the getting hit on the head frequently, is up for speculation.  SL did tell me that she knew when a seizure was about to occur because her physical visual perception would change and a strange feeling would creep up the back of her head. 

So I suggested I show her the tapping technique and use statements such as:

I didn’t know how to deal with my husband then

I didn’t know how to stop him from beating me then

I didn’t want to leave my children

I didn’t want my children to suffer by seeing the violence

I didn’t know how to cope with the situation then

I did the best I could under the circumstances

I was humiliated

I was intimidated

I feared for my life

A part of me created these problems to keep me safe

After our session I didn’t see SL for 6 months.  When I spoke with her, she informed me that she had gone off her medication because it was not controlling her seizures and that tapping was.  Since she was aware of when her seizure was about to occur, she could tap on the points on her face particularly, and interrupt the seizure for occurring.    It’s been 6 months and not one seizure yet and she is not taking her medication either.  She told me that after the first session, she made the decision not to continue with her medication and to tap regularly, every morning and evening and anytime she thought she needed it.  That is her choice.

I want to add here that I have had 2 other clients who also suffer from epilepsy.  Both are aware of when a seizure is about to occur and have learned to tap just in time to prevent it happening.  One remains on his medication and the other decided to also try discontinuing her medication and instead use tapping as a pattern interrupt.