Epilepsy & Seizures: The Hidden Emotional Triggers
In this episode of The Mind Change Podcast emotional drivers series, host Heather McKean talks about the emotional drivers behind epilepsy and seizures. While conventional medicine explains epilepsy as a neurological disorder caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain, Heather explores the deeper, often-overlooked emotional and subconscious patterns that may be contributing to these conditions.
She breaks down different types of seizures—including focal and generalized—and explains how each one may be linked to unprocessed trauma, unresolved emotions, and ingrained mental patterns formed in childhood. Drawing from a Mind Change approach, Heather reveals how early-life experiences, such as feeling unheard, being placed under extreme pressure, or internalizing guilt and responsibility, can create subconscious stress that builds up over time. When the brain reaches an overload point, seizures may be the body’s way of expressing what words cannot.
Heather also explores the role of childhood emotional environments in shaping neurological responses. Many individuals who develop epilepsy may have grown up in households where healthy emotional communication was lacking, leading to suppressed emotions, bottled-up stress, and an ongoing state of internal conflict. She discusses how the body's nervous system might be reenacting past experiences of helplessness, frustration, or fear through seizures—essentially "short-circuiting" when the emotional burden becomes too heavy to bear.
For those with adult-onset epilepsy, she uncovers how long-term coping mechanisms—such as perfectionism, self-criticism, and a deep-seated fear of failure—can contribute to the body’s need for a neurological "reset." She also touches on the fascinating concept of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, which are not caused by electrical disruptions in the brain but by the mind’s desperate attempt to process unresolved trauma.
Throughout the episode, you will discover insights on how Mind Change techniques can help uncover and address the underlying emotional drivers of epilepsy, providing a pathway toward deeper healing and transformation. By translating the body's messages and releasing stored emotional pain, many people have experienced a significant reduction in seizure activity, or even complete remission.
If you or someone you love has epilepsy, this episode offers a fresh, empowering perspective on healing. Could the key to managing seizures lie in understanding your emotional past? Tune in to explore this powerful connection and learn how shifting subconscious patterns may lead to newfound freedom.
What we covered in this episode:
💡 Epilepsy = Emotional Breakdown – Seizures often reflect unresolved emotional turmoil and suppressed communication from childhood.
🔥 Childhood Trauma – Feeling unheard or responsible for family problems leads to subconscious stress.
⚡ Seizures as a Coping Mechanism – Seizures may help the body disconnect or release unprocessed emotions.
🧠 Seizure Type & Emotional Triggers – The brain's seizure response mirrors how trauma is stored (visual, auditory, emotional, cognitive).
⏳ Adult-Onset Epilepsy – Self-criticism, perfectionism, and suppressed emotions can trigger seizures in adulthood.
🌱 Mind Change Healing – Addressing emotional drivers can reduce or eliminate seizure activity.
Get in touch with Heather McKean:
Web: https://www.mindchange.com/our-story
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindchange/?hl=en
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/MindChange
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindchange
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