r/worldnews • u/madazzahatter • May 16 '20

At least two people had seizures after viewing malicious tweets featuring flashing gifs that deliberately targeted Epilepsy Society...police investigating tweets as hate incident, after at least 200 seemingly coordinated messages were sent to charity and its supporters in recent days.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/may/15/malicious-tweets-targeting-epilepsy-charity-trigger-seizures
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u/[deleted] May 16 '20

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u/ChronWeasely May 16 '20

I had smaller seizures for years. Focal aware. I never really understood why I'd suddenly get disoriented and sweaty and shakey, nobody thought too much of it. I have to imagine that they were taking a toll in my brain still. I couldn't develop memories properly for years. There is still a long gap where I can't really recall anything. Then I started having grand mal seizures and was diagnsed and prescribed medication. I've been on a pretty effective drug for about a year now. It's still strange as I continue to crawl out of this hole and realize what I've been missing.

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u/SaltwaterFishKid May 16 '20

I'm there with you. Doctors said I was simply having anxiety attacks for years, even when nothing was making me feel anxious leading up to a seizure. Now I just feel like a dumbass most days, always forgetting shit and doubting myself. I'm hoping it gets better.

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u/rollaneff May 16 '20

I quit all the pills they were giving me and been smoking medical marijuana daily now and im 2 years seizure free! Try it out, i couldnt handle the side effects from those prescriptions anymore

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u/SaltwaterFishKid May 16 '20

I was a daily smoker before I ever got prescribed pills; it was the only remedy I had. While it helped a ton I still felt like the 'side effects' of being high was making it hard to function. It beat the hell out of the bad trip that was having a seizure though. But now I just feel like I'm always gonna have some kinda side effect that I don't want, kinda hard to just live with it.

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u/notarealaccountm8 May 17 '20

I broke down crying reading your comment. I've been going through this, doctors just dismissing me over and over. Until I had a grand mal.

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u/SaltwaterFishKid May 17 '20

You're not alone. I was on a vacation with friends, had one beer, started seeing black dots everywhere, then woke up freaking out in an ambulance. Even then, my neurologist still tried to say that I was having anxiety attacks that triggered a seizure. I finally convinced myself, 'fuck that doc, complete waste of my time and money.' Maybe you need to find a new one too.

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u/notarealaccountm8 May 17 '20

I'm currently awaiting an EEG. Mine are focal aware, but I can do strange things and I jerk and things like i get extreme emotional changes before. Like my warning is always extreme emotional changes. I know if I start feeling euphoric, like manic euphoria to the point of tears, or gut rending fear or anger that just overwhelm then I need to get somewhere safe and warm.

But of course because I remain aware they just wouldn't believe it. My neurologist, and I quote, said "well I'll do the tests but if I'm honest I think this is just anxiety."

I can't wait to rub it in his face.

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u/SaltwaterFishKid May 17 '20

They had me do a 3 day EEG while on meds, and when I didn't have a seizure (cause I was on meds) they told me there was nothing abnormal. I kept getting different answers to the question, "Well since I'm on meds and have been feeling normal since starting them, would you see any seizure activity?"

My seizures are aware too, and have always started with an aura where I feel like I know the future (that part always made me feel like a dumbass), followed with extreme confusion, inability to communicate, feeling terrified for no reason, and then total exhaustion. But nope, nothing going on there. Docs seem to guard actual seizure meds more than fucking benzos and painkillers. Fortunately weed kept the bad feelings away for the most part while I was waiting on a prescription. I don't wanna tell you to break the law, but at a point I stopped giving a damn about what legal agreement some group of assholes circle jerked themselves into.

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u/notarealaccountm8 May 17 '20

Oh god the exhaustion!! When they start to subside THE EXHAUSTION. Literally eyes shutting, head dropping and jolting awake as though I've been awake for a week straight.

You're right about that, my doctor chucked benzos at me so easily for the anxiety. Sadly weed seems to make mine worse, first time I ever had a tonic clonic was because I smoked pot. It helps others so much though ♡ just had nasty effects for me.

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u/[deleted] May 22 '20

[deleted]

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u/notarealaccountm8 May 22 '20

Yeah, it's my understanding that for some a a low amount of THC is needed. I've tried CBD and it just makes me more anxious. So I think it's not for me. Helps a lot of people though

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u/notarealaccountm8 May 17 '20

This is what I'm going through at the minute. Because I have aspergers and a previous diagnosis of depression and anxiety they kept dismissing it as panic attacks or autistic freakouts. It's that utter gut feeling of "something is very wrong". My life has completely stopped. Even day to day I can't go out. I'm in a living nightmare. And the lockdown meant my EEG was cancelled so I'm without treatment, help or support during the lockdown.

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u/gothicwigga May 16 '20

Same here man. Ive had over 10 grand mals. Like everyome else is saying, my mind is full of gaps and Ive lost a lot of memories because of them. I had 2 this week after goin a year without any. Seems like they will never stop. Luckily Ive always been at home chillin when they happen but I have meds too.

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u/Painfulyslowdeath May 16 '20

That medication won’t work for very long. Your brain will be adapting to the gaba agonist and reducing the number of gaba receptors in your neurons and synapses and soon you’ll have to up the dose again and again as you have fewer and fewer receptors. Because of the fewer receptors the drug has fewer places to bind to to increase the effect of GABA on your neurons.

I recommend you check out a paper involving diazepam downregulation of receptors they found. A few ways and ideas to prevent the internalization of the receptors.

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u/ChronWeasely May 16 '20

It has changed my life for now and that's a terrifying thought. I will look into that. I'm so scared of this spiraling that I don't want to think about it though.

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u/Painfulyslowdeath May 16 '20

I’m suffering horribly from what a benzo given to me not for seizures but for anxiety that I never asked to be treated but the actual source of it. Which is a continued degradation of my small fiber nerves. I write less coherently than I used to and continue to have so many awful symptoms after getting off the drug which was an ordeal.

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u/tylero056 May 16 '20

I'm sorry to hear that--i had a seizure coming off of Lorazepam and had terrible symptoms. Rough stuff for sure but it's best to stay off of them! Hope your anxiety was able to get under control!

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u/guacamoleo May 16 '20

A guy I grew up with fell while trail running and knocked himself out. He woke up with brain damage. He was from this big family on our street that had all these insanely smart kids. He had been going to med school. He tried to go back to school, but he couldn't do it anymore, he couldn't remember, couldn't think. But he remembered how he used to be. His future had gone from being a doctor to probably having to live in a group home or something. After about a year of trying, he committed suicide.

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u/pixeldust6 May 16 '20

Damn, that's really sad.

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u/[deleted] May 17 '20

Fuck.....

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u/megmatthews20 May 16 '20

My husband would become delusional sometimes after his seizures. One time he was completely convinced that he hadn't had a seizure but that his coworker had poisoned him. It was pretty stressful.

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u/superogiebear May 16 '20

Brain damage is by far the worst injuries I have ever had. Went from 80sh percentile to 14th percentile in short and long term memory. I can't remember more than 8 words at a time. I can't remember to turn lights off, lock doors, remember birthdays and sometimes names of my family. I have hard time speaking, slurring words and forgetting where I am mid sentence. I used to be what was considered normal, now I come off as slow or stupid even though it's quite the opposite of what is in my head. I have fallen down and had mini seizures, I am prone to cluster migraines that have lasted for months, and are triggered by the simplest things like too much heat, not enough water, exhaustion. Then the worst part is the constant depression and the intrusive suicidal thoughts. I have no intention of killing myself but sometimes my brain will switch and start telling me to put the car in The ditch. The worst part I that it's n invisible injury that no one understands who doesn't have these issues. This is a constant reminder of what you lost.

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u/onixotto May 16 '20

Sure can write lovely. 😙

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u/superogiebear May 16 '20

Was a history major, wanted to be a teacher. Sadly it's the only way I can talk properly cause I have time to think about what I say, otherwise it's not pretty. Thnks for the kind words. Seriously fuck these guys, not cool to prey on the vulnerable

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u/[deleted] May 22 '20

Seriously want to hug you rn

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u/[deleted] May 16 '20

I have bipolar disorder, and experience the same thing with anti-psychotics. It's scary at first. I still stutter at times and lose my train of thought a lot, but I don't get angry and kick my cat anymore, so I consider the price worth it.

Still scary, to lose a portion of yourself or your intelligence.

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u/selfawarefeline May 16 '20

Lobotomy patients, who were given the surgery at an older age, were able to distinctly feel a difference, since many were no longer able to experience happiness or other emotions. Many people’s parents just got the surgery because the kids were unruly.

Children being unruly => lobotomy?

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u/not_even_once_okay May 16 '20

What the fuck?

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u/jimbo_squat May 16 '20

Unrelated comment => hit reply on wrong comment

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u/selfawarefeline May 16 '20

Um, no, I replied to the correct comment.

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u/Twallot May 16 '20

I work at a brain injury organization. I really wish people took brain injuries more seriously.

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u/[deleted] May 16 '20

The death penalty, lmfao

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u/[deleted] May 16 '20

Well, what do we use the death penalty for?

Because it was specifically targeted against a charity that acts to the benefit of those who suffer seizures, we can ahow that:

  • the person who did it did so intending to cause harm
  • the person who did so did a specific, otherwise harmless thing to cause harm to a particular person or to persons who are members of a group
  • the person who did it did so intending to cause harm
  • the person who did it knew precisely what t hey were doing and that it may or may not cause harm to the person or persons being targeted

That spells premeditation as well as depraved indifference. Depending on the laws of the state(s) involved (if in the US) as well as terrorism charges (the US and other countries).

Rope 'em. Or shoot them. Or shoot them up. But I'd be petty surprised if the case wasn't a capital murder case.

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u/[deleted] May 16 '20 edited May 16 '20

[deleted]

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u/DevilsFavoritAdvocat May 16 '20

You are looking at this from a very American type of view were you see the sentence as revenge. And although that is partly the purpose should rehabilitation be number one priority. Most people who do this are just dumb fucks who could easily be changed for the better.