Gillian Stewart, 31, leisure attendant, from Bishopton, Renfrewshire

I was diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy at 14 months old. When I have a seizure it doesn’t involve a full loss of consciousness. It is probably best described as a loss of awareness and when I come back round I’m often unsure of what has happened.

Epilepsy is a hidden condition. You can’t tell by looking at me because on the surface I appear perfectly healthy. When I have a seizure it is almost like a light being switched off. I’m away for a few minutes and then I start to come back round again. It can take 10-15 minutes for me to recover afterwards.

That can cause a lot of embarrassment, but it also means I’m unable to identify sources of danger during a seizure which puts me at risk of harm. Everyday things such as cooking, running baths and ironing could be potentially hazardous. If, for example, I was ironing and had a seizure, I could fall over and burn myself. Even going for a bath could be dangerous because I could slip under the water during a seizure and not even realise.

Having to rely on other people is a real loss of independence. I love to go swimming but always need someone with me. I’m not allowed to drive. I live with my dad and he is a fantastic support. At the age of 31, it feels frustrating that I can’t do all of those things by myself.

Heat and high temperatures can be a trigger for temporal lobe epilepsy which has meant missing out on things such as holidays abroad with friends. Other triggers include tiredness and even my diet being unbalanced. I need to be careful not to overdo things.

I have had a seizure where people have mistakenly thought I was drunk. On one occasion I dropped and smashed my mobile phone. The person who handed it back to me didn’t realise I was still having a seizure so they walked away and left me. I would love for people to be better educated about epilepsy.

As a young child, I found it easier to accept my epilepsy but as I grew older the seizures got worse. It was hoped that surgery might help control them but we later discovered it wasn’t an option because the scar would be too close to the speech centre of the brain. It was simply too risky. That was disappointing but I’m slowly coming to terms with it.

I’m on four types of medication which equates to 13 tablets each day. That has led to side effects such as weight gain and headaches in the past. Even getting the medication right has been a rollercoaster. That has made me feel quite down at times. I wake up in the morning and tell myself it is going to be a good day. The hardest part is not knowing when it’s going to happen, but I try to get on with things and live life to the full.

I typically have up to six seizures each week, but it would be far more than that without medication. I do get some warning of a seizure, usually with a distinct sickness feeling. When it happens I feel a sense of dread because I know what it coming next. My dad and close friends know the signs to look for. I tend to stare into space before a seizure. When that happens they will try to get me somewhere safe to sit down.

There is a lot of people out there who don’t understand epilepsy or know that there are so many different types. Often they only know about tonic clonic seizures which involves a loss of consciousness, muscle stiffening and jerking movements. There is a misconception that all epileptic seizures are triggered by flashing or flickering lights because people see the photosensitivity warning on TV programmes. Neither of those is true for me.

I regularly volunteer with the charity Epilepsy Connections working mostly with children and their parents. Seeing other people who suffer from the condition and being able to talk to them about it has been great because it can be isolating living with epilepsy. I have been volunteering for three years and it has helped build my confidence.

International Epilepsy Day is on Monday. For more information, visit epilepsy.org and epilepsyconnections.org.uk