I am not my illness – Living with Epilepsy

I am not my illness – Living with Epilepsy Dawn is back with a short but important post that highlights a disease many don’t talk about – Epilepsy

Dawn Jewell (she/her)
Dawn Jewell (she/her)


Dawn Jewell was raised in Nova Scotia. She is a writer, and advocate for health. She worked as a Policy Researcher for Physicians Services and many community health boards. A lifelong Epileptic, she is well versed in the ups and downs of mental health and what it takes to get the message across.

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Living with an invisible illness takes its toll. It cannot be undermined or pushed aside because you can’t see it. Epilepsy is one where people assume your abilities are limited. Some cases this may be true, but for others it is a daily task of medications and work-life.

I personally have been a victim of discrimination based on what people don’t know or they assumed. In my life people assumed that I was unable, not smart, don’t stress, get rest…and so on. What ended up happening was a poor quality of life. A life dictated by others who may have had good intentions. But as a person with life- long epilepsy, I have had to make adjustments for it. And, for myself, I prefer people ask me what I need. Now saying this, we recognize that just because someone has epilepsy doesn’t mean it is the same for another who also has epilepsy. This is why cookie cutter doesn’t work. What works for one doesn’t necessarily work for the other. But regardless anyone with epilepsy will say the same thing. The biggest suffrage is the mis understanding of the illness

More from Dawn Here: Author Page

Additionally, we are people who can be employed, obtain an education and raise families, and some even drive. What we are not are second class citizens. We are people living our best life.

Do you need help? Please check out our Mental Health Resources Page.

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Although Dawn’s blog post is short, I am not my illness – Living with Epilepsy it can remind us of the individual hardships that many people face. While her post isn’t directly about mental wellness, it is however, an illness that can be just as devastating. One can only imagine what mental pain comes to the surface. I would like to thank Dawn, not only for her contribution to The Road To Mental Wellness, but also for her courage. Also, I want to applaud you for never giving up on yourself.

Despite your rough journey, I know your passions will guide you to your dreams.

Lots of love, Jonathan

Message from Jonathan.

As the Founder and Chief content creator for http://theroadtomentalwellness.com, I would like to thank you all for stopping by. We work hard on our content with the reader in mind. Our purpose, to help others by telling our stories. We hope that we are delivering on our mission. Please, let us know if you have found it helpful in the comments sections or follow us on social media and let us know there. Remember, you are not alone, we are all in this together. Please, like and share our content. Especially if you feel like others can benefit from our own experiences. We all thank you for taking the time to read and share our content. Please come back and keep up to date.

Finally, take care of yourself and if you need help, go to our Mental Health Resources Page.

Today. we are stronger because of people like Dawn. You’re a real trooper, my friend. Do you want to read of Dawns work? Why not go to Our Writers page?

While I know moving forward can be tough, I also know that you can do it. Why not start your mental wellness journey today?

Jonathan Arenburg.

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I am not my illness – Living with Epilepsy – copyright 2022

dawnjewell1 (she/her)

I am a writer, community activist and political scientist. I have worked in health policy and have seen, and experienced, mental health issues. I have epilepsy which has made me tailor my life and career for the best health options. My goal is to aid in the conversations of mental health and wellness.

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