Doctor debunks witchcraft, spirit possession as causes of epilepsy

A health professional on Wednesday refuted the belief of some Filipinos that people suffer from epilepsy because they were bewitched or possessed by evil spirits or demons.

Dr. Joyce Macasaet-Smit, vice president of the Philippine League Against Epilepsy, said epilepsy may be due to the presence of brain tumor, a traumatic brain injury, stroke, central nervous system infection, or congenital malformation. It could also be genetic for some people.

“Hindi siya parusa ng Diyos, at ‘yung usual na mga kaalaman natin, ‘yung mga sinaunang kaalaman na baka sinapian o na-possess o kaya nakulam or witchcraft,” she said during a virtual Kapihan forum hosted by the Department of Health (DOH).

(It is not a punishment from God, and it is not what we usually think that people were possessed or bewitched.)

Smit defined epilepsy as a chronic neurologic disorder affecting individuals of all ages. It is the “second most burdensome neurologic disorder worldwide in terms of disability-adjusted life years,” she said..

“Around 345,000 were estimated number of [Filipinos] with active epilepsy. So at least 0.9% or 1% ng ating populasyon ay merong epilepsy [of our population have epilepsy],” she said, citing 2016 data.

Smit also said that some forms of epilepsy may require surgical treatment, while most patients need chronic pharmacological therapy.

If any person starts to have seizures, she said that first aid responders need to turn the patient on his/her side, cushion his/her head, remove his/her glasses (if any), and loosen his/her tight clothing.

The patient must not also be held down, and the responder has to time the seizure from start to finish.

Emergency hotlines must then be called if the seizure lasts longer than five minutes.—LDF, GMA Integrated News