What is this strange sensation? A qualitative exploration of metaphors used to verbalise hard-to-describe experiences by people with epilepsy

Mental health comorbidities are frequent in epilepsy. Consequently, psychotherapy is becoming increas-ingly important. To address the psychological needs of people with epilepsy (PwE) it is essential to under-stand the subjective experiences of seizures better. There is little research on how people report seizures, and which psychological representations they have. We conducted a thematic analysis based on 42 (micro-phenomenological) interviews with 15 participants on their experiences of seizures. In these interviews, we identified three categories of seizure descriptions: (1) phenomena related to the body and emotions; (2) the moments that are difficult to describe; and (3) the use of figurative language and metaphors. Paroxysmal physical and psychological sensations were often reported spontaneously by the participants. The moments that were difficult to describe were expressed, among other things, through the use of paradoxes or the report of a 'strange' feeling and led participants to use figurative lan-guage. As these metaphors can reveal important information about people's subjective experiences, they were analyzed in detail. We identified the three main types of metaphors that the participants used most frequently: (1) perception, (2) nature, and (3) battle. The theme of battle was most frequently used in dif-ferent forms and was closely related to the metaphors from the fields of perception and nature, thus rep-resenting a key point in the personal experience of seizures. These findings can contribute to developing psychotherapeutic approaches for the treatment of seizure disorders.(c) 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Mental health comorbidities are common in epilepsy, highlighting the importance of psychotherapy. Understanding the subjective experiences of seizures is crucial for addressing the psychological needs of people with epilepsy. The study identified three categories of seizure descriptions: phenomena related to the body and emotions, moments that are difficult to describe, and the use of figurative language and metaphors. The metaphor of battle was most frequently used and closely related to perception and nature metaphors, representing a key aspect of the personal experience of seizures.