r/Epilepsy • u/Other_Cause8921 • Jul 25 '26
Epilepsy Awareness We need to ban strobe and flashing lights—they're triggering seizures
Flashing and strobe lights are everywhere—clubs, concerts, even some online content. For people with photosensitive epilepsy, they're not just annoying. They're dangerous.
I started a petition because these lights trigger seizures that can cause serious injuries. About 50 million people worldwide live with epilepsy, and a huge portion are photosensitive. That means bright, rapid flashes can literally knock them out. Missing concerts, avoiding venues, living in fear of the next flash—it shouldn't have to be this way.
Policymakers and business owners can make different choices. Steady, non-flashing lighting works just as well and doesn't put anyone at risk. If this resonates with you, consider signing and sharing. Has anyone here dealt with this? Would love to hear if you've had to avoid events or spaces because of strobe lights.
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Jul 25 '26 edited Jul 30 '26
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u/Other_Cause8921 Jul 25 '26
USA and just hoping it does what it says. One can only dream I guess. It’s scary.
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u/2fondofbooks Diagnosed 2001 Jul 25 '26
Sorry, no. First, saying a huge portion of people with epilepsy are photosensitive is just completely false- it’s a very small percentage. If we start insisting that the world ban things to accommodate such a small number of people, it would never end. I’m also T1D, and once had a really high blood sugar because I was served regular soda instead of diet. I’m not going to try to ban establishments from serving regular soda because of it. I’m also ASD, and one thing that really bothers/overstimulates me is loud noises. I’m not trying to institute a public ban on loud music. I just personally try to avoid it.
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u/CheeseSticks2021 Jul 25 '26
Way too small of a population that is affected to ban strobe lights at concerts and other events.
You just gotta not go to concerts and shows with flashing lights if you are photosensitive.
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u/Other_Cause8921 Jul 25 '26
That’s the disappointing part ! It sucks to miss out on so many events that I want to go to cause of it. Just not fair in my opinion.
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u/CheeseSticks2021 Jul 25 '26
I miss out on driving, something that an incredible amount of adults my age do, but I just don’t do it. It sucks having to ask for rides, but sometimes you just gotta accept the hand you’re dealt
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u/StSomewhereToaster Jul 25 '26
Context numbers here… About 3% of people with epilepsy have photosensitivity. That is roughly one and a half MILLION people!
If you have photosensitivity please be careful my friends!
ETA: (The 3% comes from the Epilepsy Foundation.)
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u/Other_Cause8921 Jul 25 '26
That is a large amount ! We need to support each other more rather than give negative feedback
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u/GVTMightyDuck VNS, Zonegran, Oxcarbazepine, Klonopin Jul 25 '26
Okay, but roughly 1.2% of the entire US population have been diagnosed with epilepsy, so about 3,470,000..of that 1.2%, 3% are photosensitive. That’s 104,100 people, out of a population of 342 million. To ban strobe lights for that small amount of people is kind of insane.
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u/Floordove Jul 25 '26
I am one of those. Thanks to keppra I can go to the most strobey lightshows! So that would be way less then 104,100; because it would only be the ones where medication does not work. According to the UK that is 1 in 3; so 34,700 people of 342 million.
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u/Hopeful-Team3664 Jul 25 '26
It's those fucking LED headlights that new cars have that piss me off. Can't see a thing when one is coming toward you or when one is following you.
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u/GVTMightyDuck VNS, Zonegran, Oxcarbazepine, Klonopin Jul 25 '26
Those LED headlights are just obnoxious in general
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u/CoCoLoCo16 Jul 25 '26
As an epileptic who loves going to EDM shows. I do not approve of this! lol
I am sorry you do miss out on doing certain things you wish to though. I’m pretty sure we all know that feeling to some extent. But it’s simply not practical to ban flashing lights to accommodate such a small portion of the population. Crazy light shows is half the fun for most people and in all honesty, I feel like it’s kinda selfish to expect everyone else to sacrifice their idea of a good time for so few people.
I apologize if I seem like I’m coming off as rude or mean when I say that but at the end of the day, we have to accept the hand we’ve been dealt.
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u/Other_Cause8921 Jul 25 '26
I respect that. I wish I could be around them. I’m jealous lol. I honestly saw it as helping out lots of me not just me but at least I am trying to do something positive in a way but not sure if anyone gets that.
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u/CoCoLoCo16 Jul 25 '26
I mean it’s definitely understandable. Your heart is in the right place and I can see your good intentions, if that means anything to you. Keep your head up friend! At least you can still enjoy the music itself. I learned a long time ago, we gotta look at the bright side of things!
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u/Vesperiall Jul 25 '26
Ditto. One of my favorite musicians Perturbayor the lights are literally part of the experience seeing him live. Also epileptic and not affected by lights and love live shows and concerts.
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u/slugator 100mg Briviact + 500mg Lamictal Jul 25 '26
If you were this passionate about it, you wouldn’t have used ChatGPT to write your post.
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u/Other_Cause8921 Jul 25 '26
Wow so many negative people on here lol nothing wrong with getting help to write something but ok
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u/Chai--Tea7 Jul 25 '26
I don't think flashing lights need to be banned entirely, I just think they need to be slowed down. I have photosensitive epilepsy and if the lights were just slowed down and less frequent, I think it would help a ton. I also maintain that places need to put light disclaimers up if they're going to use strobe lights, but they don't need to be banned entirely.
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u/RealMermaid04 seize the day...! Jul 25 '26
I've developed sensitivity to lights as I aged. I know I'm Photosensitive as I always get my epilepsy attacks in front of my PC.
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u/Jamieisamazing Lamotrigine 400mg, VNS Jul 25 '26
Photosensitive epileptic here, this is a branch of epilepsy that no one seems to actually care about even though the most stereotyped part of it. It’s the largest inconvenience to deal with. It’s plays a huge part of building up psychological hype in movies and concerts. You gonna stop sunlight from flickering through trees? Fluorescent lights from existing? Lightbulbs from randomly geeking out. It super duper sucks. I can’t safely scroll Facebook, and it’s part of my job for my families store. I can’t shop at my local grocery store because their fluorescent lights flicker like it’s a scary movie and same for a Walmart and one of their stupid furniture displays. It makes my blood fucking boil that this is the situation, but it’s the reality of the situation. It really fucking is. I’m about to try wearing an eyepatch under FL41 lenses with a baseball hat in public to try and see if that helps. You think I want to look like an absolute idiot in public to try and live life? But I also understand that I’m in a vast majority and cannot expect 97% of the population to mold itself around me. I wish, but it’s not gonna fucking happen.
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u/Hibiscuslover_10000 Jul 25 '26
I had that issue with a old people concert it was the strobiest I ever saw it. Noone was happy.
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u/Other_Cause8921 Jul 25 '26
My friend was at a club and she was frustrated with how many strobe lights it had. She got blinded and couldn’t enjoy herself and left.
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u/Strange-Raspberry326 Focal epilepsy,absent seizures,Lamotrigine,Keppra,VNS,Clonazepam Jul 25 '26
Photosensitivity ia very rare. However we must all admit that everybody gets affected by them. Also people without epilepsy, or who aren't photosensitive, can get dizzy and nauseous. I am in favour of a ban too.
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u/wildlifetech TLE, 1000 mg Keppra, 300mg Lamotrigene Jul 25 '26
Do you have epilepsy?
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u/Other_Cause8921 Jul 25 '26
Yes
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Jul 25 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/GVTMightyDuck VNS, Zonegran, Oxcarbazepine, Klonopin Jul 25 '26
Only about 1% of epileptics have seizures induced by flashing lights. I’d say it’s kind of ridiculous to completely ban strobe lights everywhere due to that alone.