The lack of a unified theory of illness.

Suffering from epilepsy (and a number of serious symptoms which all were connected) for several decades, I have gained experience from many neuroligical centers in various countries. (MRI = Magnetic Resonance Imaging, I have been scanned by, in four different countries). I have experienced how they treated me, taken “care” of me, have talked (often down) to me or what atmosphere they offered and which general technical and human resources was available.

Medications and instruments (EEC and MRI) are universal in the neurological epilepsy management and my hopes that another culture and a new country could offer something different have ended in disappointments. Unfortunately, doctors, waiting rooms and receptions, are a reflection of the standard international pharmaceutical and instrument industry, which means they are cold, formal environments with minimal time and understanding of unified solutions. Doctors, trained neurological technicians on a high level, working with complex problems and squeezed by limited financial resources and efficiency requirements attended me.

When meeting with a neurologist you are overwhelmed by logical, technical and formal skills. Expressions of emotional character - from the right side of the brain - I have rarely witnessed at a meeting with a neurologist, though I have been lucky in this respect, and met some of the best neurologists. There is one unique exception and that was Dr. David Holden, who I met at the Primal Institute, and he introduced me to MRI, when this technique just had been launched in 1978.

The world, who faces an epileptic, is a quite unreasonable, formal and very conservative world. Patients are often disabled, drugged by anti-epileptic medication and without selfconfidence and resources to ask for change and innovation. It is a world I had to respect and to play a formal game with to get drugs, marriage licenses, driving licenses, etc.. However, I have always believed that there were other solutions, and I have on several occasions been awarded for tireless diligence. In particular, Primal Therapy helped me sensationally, but also homeopathy and a proper diet (including health food), various massage technique and physical training has proven very useful in my combination of treatments. All together, they have proven their values in helping to cope with and dramatically mitigate my epilepsy.

In my job as an internal change consultant working in an international environment, it has been a matter of course to work with a unified theory, including business plans, leadership and control. For competitive and survival reasons we established a monitoring system, which meant to follow the outside world and continuously make comparisons where we stood. In my private struggle with epilepsy and in search of alternative solutions, the professional entrepreneurial training often has helped me to take decisions that have been different.

I hope that the future epilepsy treatment will develop an approach in which visions, goals and a team of responsible can raise the quality of treatment as well as the lives of the sick. The explosion of knowledge in the brain research and in the dynamic therapies in combination with modern patient treatment give me the courage to be positive. Future neurological clinics will naturally evolve from today’s technology-oriented centers (hunting for symptoms) with drug recipes as the main weapon, to a more holistic treatment center. Teams will analyze and cross-reference the causes which will be treated with therapies, diets, exercises, medication and possibly surgery if all else fails.

Within a few years, our neurologists have gained a much better knowledge to determine  which type of epilepsy a patient is suffering. There will obviously always be different reasons for developing epilepsy and the guidance of a neurologist is mandatory. Medications are necessary need for those who cannot or will not use, for example, Primal Therapy or other solutions. For those who are able to go to therapy a flexible administration of medicine may act as a balancing aid. This flexibility will depend on teamwork between the patient, the therapist and the neurologist.

The current knowledge explosion is eventually likely to make it less scaring to be an epileptic when the fragmented approach finally has been revealed as inadequate.

Albert Einstein: It is sad to live in a time when it is easier to split an atom than to blow up a prejudice.

Jan Johnsson