Stay Calm, Stay Aware: Seizure 101
By Inioluwa Margret
I still remember vividly the first time I saw a seizure happen on campus. We were in a crowded lecture hall, the lecturer’s voice rattled on about assignments, when suddenly a girl in the front row dropped her pen along with a light scream. At first, I thought it was nothing until her whole body jerked involuntarily, then her body stiffened, making her fall from her seat before slipping into unconsciousness. Immediately, students started running helter skelter and then chaos erupted. Someone shouted that it was spiritual, another ran out of the hall, and a few people just stood there, frozen. The poor girl was on the floor jerking while most of us had no idea what to do. It was scary, confusing, and honestly a little heartbreaking. That moment stayed with me for a long time especially because of how the rest of us reacted. We didn’t know better. We treated her seizure like a mystery, something that should be avoided instead of what it really was, a medical condition that needs calm and care, not panic and stigma.
Seizures are more common than we think, hidden away. In Nigeria, about one in every hundred people lives with epilepsy, which means in a class of 300 students, at least three could be managing it quietly. And because of fear of being judged or mocked, many students keep it to themselves. They smile in class, gist in the hostel, use their drugs in secret, write exams like everyone else, while carrying the worry and fear of when the next seizure might strike.
When you strip away the myths, a seizure is simply the neutrons in the brain misfiring, like an electrical surge. It can make someone shake, fall, stare blankly, or just zone out for a moment. It is mostly caused by a brain injury and sometimes genetics. It’s not evil spirits, or “village people” like some people call it, it’s not contagious, and it’s not something to laugh about. But sadly, stigma has built a heavy wall around it. I’ve heard students joke about a classmate “falling under anointing” or “shakie” when in reality, they were just experiencing a seizure. I’ve seen someone rush to grab a spoon, ready to force it into a friend’s mouth because they heard that was the “right” thing to do. These wrong responses cause more harm than good.
The truth is, if you ever find yourself in that situation again, the best thing you can do is stay calm. Move harmful objects away so the person doesn’t get hurt. Don’t try to hold them down or put anything in their mouth. Just let the seizure run its course, most last only a minute or two. If it stretches beyond five minutes, that’s when you should call for urgent medical help. And when it’s all over, don’t add to their embarrassment by staring, mocking, or whispering. Offer a hand, a smile, or even just sit quietly with them until they feel steady again.
I often imagine what it must feel like to wake up on the classroom floor with people avoiding or filming you. That shame can be heavier than the seizure itself. Many students who live with seizures already carry enough worries, the last thing they need is more rejection. With the right support and awareness, students living with seizures can thrive. They can chase their goals, lead groups, perform on stage, and live full lives. The only thing standing in their way is the stigma that comes from our ignorance. That day in the lecture hall, the girl eventually recovered. She sat up, looking tired and confused, while people stared as if she was something strange. Only one person knelt beside her, speaking softly, waiting until she felt better. That moment taught me that compassion is the best response to seizures, not fear or mockery. We didn’t need to panic. We just needed to understand.
Seizures are not a curse, not a punishment, and definitely not the end of someone’s dreams. They are simply a health condition, one that becomes easier to live with when people around are informed and kind. The next time you witness it, remember that your reaction matters. You can either add to the stigma, or you can be the calm presence that makes a world of difference. Awareness begins with one choice, the choice to care.
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