Secrecy and safety : a cultural history of seizures in modern America / Rachel Elder.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Elder, Rachel, 1983- Author.

Contributor:

Johns Hopkins University. Press, publisher.

Series:

Disability history of science, technology, and medicine

Disability history of science, medicine, and technology

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Epilepsy--Social aspects--United States--History.

Epilepsy.

Epilepsy--psychology.

Epilepsy--history.

Epilepsy--prevention & control.

Epilepsy--therapy.

Social Stigma.

History, 20th Century.

History, 21st Century.

United States.

Medical Subjects:

Epilepsy--psychology.

Epilepsy--history.

Epilepsy--prevention & control.

Epilepsy--therapy.

Social Stigma.

History, 20th Century.

History, 21st Century.

United States.

Physical Description:

xiv, 221 pages : illustrations, photographs ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Baltimore, Maryland : Johns Hopkins University Press, 2025.

Summary:

"A history of epilepsy and the work required to manage it. In the middle of the twentieth century, medical advancements like anticonvulsant drugs and electroencephalograms promised new possibilities for managing seizures. At the same time, people with epilepsy were navigating a complex medical landscape and enduring social prejudice. In Secrecy and Safety, historian Rachel Elder presents a deeply researched history of epilepsy and the stories of individuals grappling with the dual burden of living with an unpredictable condition and concealing it to avoid stigma. While new treatments offered the hope of control, the era's emphasis on personal responsibility reinforced a culture of secrecy around disability. Epilepsy became an "invisible" condition- manageable in public life, but requiring constant vigilance and self-regulation. This thought-provoking study examines case studies that reveal how postwar beliefs about control and normalcy shaped perceptions of disability and identity. Rooted in rich historical research, Secrecy and Safety is the first comprehensive examination of epilepsy during this pivotal period. By examining the societal pressures placed on individuals to perform health and manage risk, Elder offers a compelling lens through which to understand broader questions of autonomy, visibility, and belonging in modern America. Secrecy and Safety reconsiders the narratives that define chronic illness and the enduring quest for control in the face of uncertainty." -- publisher's website

Contents:

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Abbreviations of archives

Introduction : Seizure prone

"Invisible handicap" : from family skeletons to closets of near normalcy

Technology and transparency : EEG retraces the secret disease

Safe citizens at Detroit's School for Children with Epilepsy

Mobility and motor control : epilepsy in the age of the automobile

The operable brain : seizures, surgery, and patient subjectivity

Epilogue : Control paradigms and the invisible ideal

Notes

Index.

Notes:

Includes publisher's advertisements ([1] page, at end).

Includes bibliographical references (on pages [167]-214) and an index (on pages [215]-221).

Other Format:

Online version Elder, Rachel, 1983- Secrecy and safety

ISBN:

9781421452944

1421452944

OCLC:

1500857192

Publisher Number:

90103253162