Epilepsy is a condition in which a person has two or more seizures that affect a variety of mental and physical functions. Epilepsy is one of the oldest pathologies of the human race. Epilepsy awareness is important because epilepsy is a widely misunderstood disorder. The reason epilepsy has been misunderstood is mainly because research wasn't conducted until the mid-nineteenth century. There are six main types of seizures and many treatments that can help an epilepsy patient. There are many facts and myths about a person suffering from epilepsy, which is why it is an important disorder to understand. A person living with epilepsy can usually have a normal life after consulting doctors. Epilepsy has been around since the beginning. During the Greek period, many believed that convulsions were actual visitations from the gods. The Greeks often called this disorder “the sacred disease” (Schachter). However, Hippocrates believed that epilepsy was no more sacred than any other disease (Schachter). During the Renaissance period, people began to believe that seizures were associated with evil demons and that the devil possessed the person. During this period, the society burned people who had convulsions at the stake after accusing them of being witches. Even a century ago it was difficult for a person suffering from epilepsy. Little was known about epilepsy, society shunned people who had the disorder, and epileptic patients often led a life of isolation. People thought that epilepsy was contagious and were often isolated in hospitals in areas reserved “for epileptics only” (Landau). It was only in the mid-nineteenth century that doctors and neurologists began to study and re......mid article......twenty-first century, 1994. Print.Komaroff, Anthony L. "Brain and Nervous System ." The Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1999. 375-77. Print."On epilepsy." About epilepsy. Epilepsy Foundation, n.d. Web. 01 March 2014. "Epilepsy Center." At UC San Diego Health System. UC San Diego Health System, n.d. Web. March 02, 2014."Types of Seizures." Convulsions. Epilepsy Foundation, n.d. Web. March 02, 2014"Famous people with epilepsy." Famous people with epilepsy | Epilepsy.com. Ed. Steven C. Schachter, MD. Epilepsy.com, December 15, 2006. Web. March 2, 2014. Schachter, Steven C., MD. “Types of Seizures.” Types of Seizures | Epilepsy.com. Ed. Joseph I. Sirven, physician. Epilepsy.com, July 21, 2013. Web. March 2, 2014. “12 Common Myths and Misconceptions About Epilepsy.” Epilepsy Foundation of San Diego County. Epilepsy Foundation, n.d. Web. 02 March. 2014.