Riding home after work on a regular weekday, Eve's happy life in the peaceful city of Hobart was dramatically interrupted. An accident left her in hospital but she couldn't have known that the fallout would follow her for the rest of her life. "The whole experience has been the most challenging thing in my life to date," she says. "it affected my life in every way."

Amy first had a seizure in the lead up to a routine medical check-up. "In the very beginning, I was in complete denial. I didn't want to be someone who has epilepsy. I guess because of the stigmatism that goes with it."

Despite the fact that tens of millions of people live with epilepsy worldwide, the condition is still deeply stigmatised. "I would love every school and every workplace to have epilepsy understanding and awareness training," says epilepsy educator and registered nurse Emma Lorkin. "It should be the same as what they do for other conditions like anaphylaxis, and diabetes and asthma and things like that."

In this episode, we look at the impact a diagnosis of epilepsy can have on people and those around them.

Every 33 minutes, a life is turned upside down by epilepsy.

To find out more about the National Epilepsy Support Service (NESS), go to https://epilepsysmart.org.au/ness/

If you need support with epilepsy, call 1300 761 487 and a trained NESS support worker will help you.

NESS is a free, Australia-wide resource that provides support and information for people living with epilepsy and those who assist them. NESS supports people of all ages and at all stages of life.