Depending on the severity and frequency of seizures, epilepsy can cause considerable disruption in a person’s life. Even people who control their seizures with medication or other treatment methods may experience problems with other people’s perception of epilepsy. People who cannot effectively control their seizures may have more far-reaching restrictions placed on their lives. They may not be able to keep a job or live without supervision. In some cases, living with the threat of a seizure can be severely debilitating.

Many people with epilepsy experience behavioral or emotional problems. Adults may feel frustrated at their inability to control their seizures and the effect that this lack of control may have on other aspects of their lives. Epilepsy can be particularly difficult for children. Although children often respond well to treatment and may be seizure-free by adolescence, the psychological effects of epilepsy can continue to affect them into adulthood. Children whose seizures are not well controlled may experience a disrupted education, which has wider implications for employment and social functioning later in life. They may also be bullied, teased and generally misunderstood by other members of the school, adding to the psychological problems that many people with epilepsy face. In these cases, counseling may help a patient deal with the emotional and practical frustrations of living with epilepsy.

Most states do not allow people with epilepsy to drive unless they can prove they have been seizure-free for a certain period of time. Sometimes this restriction applies even if the seizures do not involve losing consciousness, although some states may make exceptions for people who have very mild seizures.

Patients with epilepsy may be advised to carry medical information in their wallets or on specially designed medical alert bracelets or necklaces. This alerts bystanders or emergency medical personnel of their condition.