The Truth that No One Tells You about Living with Narcolepsy

 

The Truth that No One Tells You about Living with Narcolepsy

 

 

Narcolepsy is a condition that is generally categorized as the primary sleeping disorder which causes excessive daytime sleepiness in the person who is suffering from this condition. 

 

Being a primary sleeping disorder, you can be a perfectly healthy person and yet suffer from narcolepsy.

 

Your diet, as well as your emotional state, does have an impact on the symptoms of this condition. But they cannot be quoted as the cause of the condition directly.

 

In spite of being a recognized medical disorder, there is little to no awareness about this condition. Most of the people who suffer from narcolepsy live difficult lives and do not think that their lethargy and excessive sleepiness could be a disorder that can be treated.

 

Here are a few things that most people do not realize about narcolepsy and its symptoms:

 

Narcolepsy causes involuntary sleeping or excessive sleeping

 

Some people believe in willpower and they think that if a person wants it hard enough they should be able to cut back their sleeping hours and get up on time. But expecting something like that from a narcolepsy patient is similar to expecting a diabetic person to eat all the sugar they can and willing their body to process it without any consequence to their health.

 

People who suffer from narcolepsy do not have any control over their sleep cycle and thus the usual techniques that work for us to repair our sleep cycle do not work for them.

 

Also, there are certain cases when a person suffering from this condition will fall asleep almost instantly while they are in the middle of something such as driving, eating or evening exercising.

 

If we come across such people or characters on television in various shows and series, we tend to laugh at these people, and even the show makes tends to use narcolepsy symptoms as a comedic gag.

 

If we come across such people in our real life, we are quick to judge, calling them lazy and undisciplined.

 

But even the most disciplined narcolepsy patient has no control over their sleep and calling them lazy only lowers down their self-esteem.

 

 

People with Narcolepsy Feel Isolated

 

People who are suffering from narcolepsy spend a huge chunk of their time sleeping, and thus they only have enough time to get to their daily tasks such as working on school projects or attending to their work duties.

 

Many people with narcolepsy are not able to continue school or full-time jobs because all the sleeping does them no good. They feel constantly exhausted and tired and no amount of sleeping rejuvenates their body.

 

Also, there is little to no acceptance for people who are suffering from narcolepsy. Most work environments want employees to give in more time at work and even schools reward studies for doing things at the expense of the students' sleep.

 

So it becomes extremely difficult, if not impossible for someone with narcolepsy to thrive in traditional school and work set-ups.

 

This can prompt them to seek online schooling and online work which further cuts down their connection with the outside world.

 

 

It difficult for People with Narcolepsy to Maintain Social Engagements

 

There have been various cases when a person suffering from narcolepsy has fallen asleep and missed a social event.

 

Apart from social events, they can also miss events like an important exam or interview.

 

This is because their daytime sleepiness is involuntary and nothing that they can help unless they seek medical treatment.

 

Most people assume that the people suffering from narcolepsy are only making up excuses to weasel out of their commitments.

 

So unless the family members, loved ones, and friends are aware of their condition and understanding of its symptoms, people suffering from narcolepsy have a hard time maintaining social engagements as well as social relationships with people.

 

People suffering from Narcolepsy Can Suffer from Insomnia

 

People often discount insomnia in people who are suffering from narcolepsy due to the fact that it is defined as a condition that causes excessive daytime sleepiness.

 

But excessive daytime sleepiness is just one of its symptoms and people suffering from narcolepsy have a hard time falling asleep at night even if they are physically and mentally exhausted.

 

So they are not faking it or fishing for attention, it is just that the condition has seemingly contradictory symptoms.

 

People suffering from Narcolepsy are at risk of suffering from Mental Health Conditions

 

All that isolation and judgment can make the healthiest of people feel alone, and depressed so it is no wonder that people suffering from narcolepsy are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression.

 

This is because narcolepsy is yet not considered to be a mainstream condition and most people who suffer from this condition are subject to judgment and ridicule.

 

Even the people suffering from this condition may feel that they are just lazy and useless if they are not yet aware that they are suffering from a medical condition.

 

Also, they can be under the constant fear that they will miss an important exam or interview due to their sleeping condition. People may be even afraid of going out of the house in case they fall asleep on a bus or in an unsafe locality.

 

Narcolepsy Can Be Treated Successfully

 

If you are suffering from narcolepsy, we have to tell you that you don't have to live this way, there are various types of treatments available for this condition.

 

The drug Modafinil is one of the most popular oral treatments of narcolepsy which can be found in brands such as Provigil. Provigil is high on the price point, but there are generic brands of Modafinil available such as Modalert, Modaheal as well as Modvigil which can treat narcolepsy as effectively as any trademarked brand.

 

Apart from Modafinil, there is the drug Armodafinil which is stronger than Modafinil and useful for treating extremely severe cases of narcolepsy which can be bought under the brand names such as Waklert.

 

These medications not only promote wakefulness but also get rid of the tiredness as well as the mental fog that comes with excessive day-time sleepiness.