'I push through pain of epilepsy to raise awareness'

There are around 103,600 children and young people aged up to 24 with epilepsy in the UK

Warning - this story contains discussion of suicidal feelings

A teenager has said she struggled with her epilepsy diagnosis but found purpose in joining a charity to promote awareness of the condition.

Elina Patel, who found out she had epilepsy a decade ago, said: "When I got diagnosed, I had no idea what this condition was. It was very hard. No words can describe what I had to go through."

Ms Patel, 18, from Walton-on-Thames, now works with the charity Young Epilepsy as a Youth Voice Network member and "feels grateful" that she can help the next generation by promoting awareness.

Lara Carr, head of research at Young Epilepsy, said that while epilepsy is not a mental health condition, "we know that young people with epilepsy are four times more likely to experience mental health difficulties than their peers".

Elina was diagnosed with absent seizures at the age of eight which cause a person to briefly lose awareness of their surroundings for a few seconds, making them appear to be "daydreaming" or "switching off".

"I was put on multiple medications that affected my health," she said. "It made me have increased anxiety, loss of appetite, acne.

"I'd say it was very dark because there was a lot of things that people actually didn't see and a lot of things that people wouldn't really understand. "

Ms Patel said that by the age of 13 her mental health was suffering and she felt she "didn't want to go on".

"I was falling behind in all my classes at school because I was learning at a slower pace," she said.

"I had my family, I had help, but a lot of it was triggered by the epilepsy."

Young Epilepsy said more support for young people with epilepsy was needed

The charity Young Epilepsy, based in Lingfield, Surrey, is regarded as a world leader in epilepsy research and campaigns for the rights of children and young people with epilepsy.

It says epilepsy can be one of the most frightening and isolating conditions a child can experience.

Ms Carr said the charity was working to improve outcomes for young people with epilepsy by "improving the diagnosis of epilepsy, treatment of epilepsy and support for all aspects of childhood epilepsy".

"I think much more support for young people with epilepsy is needed," she said.

"And that's whether that's to do with their seizures or to do with all the other aspects of their life.

"I think we need to be looking much more holistically in terms of being able to support these young people."

As part of her work as a Youth Voice Network member Ms Patel believes the charity offer a lifeline to youngsters with the condition.

"If that was nine-year-old me, I'd be so grateful because I can go online, I can find a youth network, I can look it up, I can find people who are like me.

"I think it's absolutely amazing, but nine-year-old me had none of that."

Key facts about epilepsy

Young Epilepsy says approximately 625,800 people in the UK have epilepsy – around one in 107 people.

There are around 103,600 children and young people aged up to 24 with epilepsy in the UK.

Most children will outgrow their epilepsy by their teenage years. For those who do not, it can usually be well controlled with anti-seizure medications.

• If you have been affected by any of the issues in this story you can find information and support on the BBC Actionline website.