Whether seizures are controlled or not, epilepsy is life-changing. Children and adults with epilepsy, as well as their loved ones, must cope with unique psychological and social problems. Epilepsy can be a difficult road, but one that need not be traveled alone.
Epilepsy Services For Northeastern Illinois (ESNI) is a small agency serving a large area. Located across from the Highland Park train station, ESNI operates as the sole source of direct and essential services for those impacted by epilepsy in North Suburban Cook and all of Lake county.
ESNI offers counseling as its single important program. This counseling program has been carefully designed to provide a range of entry points for those who will benefit from our services.
Epilepsy is a developmental disability as mandated by the U.S. Congress in 1977. It encompasses a broad spectrum of variations in types of seizures; degree of severity; frequency of seizures; cause; age at onset; and medical treatment. The episodic, unpredictable nature of epilepsy and the stigmatized social response to it often exacerbates the depth of impact on the emotional life of individuals and families affected. It is important to view epilepsy as a continuum of disability from least severe to most severe.
ESNI’s Counseling Program pinpoints the needs of the client. Some individuals and families desire short term counseling to concentrate on information and education about epilepsy; others are more interested in in-depth, long term treatment in order to focus on the psychological ramifications of the diagnosis. Such help was not available elsewhere.
Adjustment to the presence of epilepsy is a process of its integration into the larger context of life. This process can best be accomplished through an ongoing therapeutic relationship with a counselor who thoroughly understands the ramifications and complications of epilepsy and the effect on healthy functioning
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