My husband says I became a health reporter (before I added ghostwriting and marketing skills) 'cause it was the only way to force a doctor...especially neurologists...to answer questions. And this was the late 20th century already...in the US of A.
I just recently noted to a colleague that even though my tale is part of a great book, "Chronically Empowered" (ImagineWe Publishers) for the most part we cannot discuss epilepsy in America. We have noted figures who admit to depression, bipolar, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's...the list continues. Indeed, every time they're struck with some health issue they post it to FB, Instagram, and/or other social outlets. (The book, BTW, profiles various "chronic illness warriors" and others worldwide. Highly recommend.)
Anyway, any time I ask people to name just one current famed U.S. figure who's admitted to epilepsy, there's nothing but dead silence. (Yes, certain histories cite people we think--or even know--had "seizures". Even then we rarely say "epilepsy.")
I call it "America's last stigma." It's bad enough in areas still often with less communications, but for me I must say I feel it's very sad to be this way in a supposedly "civilized" and "open-minded" society as we move even further into the 21st-century.
Hope there's more enlightenment soon, worldwide.
Wendy Meyeroff
The Ghostwriter Who Grabs Attention
Maryland, USA
HIFA profile: Wendy Meyeroff is President of WM Medical Communications in the USA. Professional interests: Health writer/editor (over 20 years), helping a variety of companies, government agencies, non-profits, health professionals and others to reach both clinicians and patients/consumers at various financial levels. My article on the difficulties of finding and retaining important "direct care" workers in the USA, was published in July 2015. You can find that here: bit.ly/1If6fHk wjmeyeroff AT gmail.com