Held by Lightning A Memoir of Epilepsy, Identity, and the Fight to Be Understood (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9798349427831)

What if your body could betray you without warning-and no one believed you?

In Held by Lightning, therapist and author Carina Schroedel shares a raw, honest account of what it truly means to live with epilepsy. Diagnosed at thirteen, Carina grew up navigating seizures, confusion, stigma, and the emotional fallout of being misdiagnosed, dismissed, and misunderstood. But this is not just a story about illness-it's a story about survival, identity, and the quiet power of refusing to disappear.

Told in two parts, this book begins with Carina's lived experience-her journey through diagnosis, memory loss, shame, motherhood, and professional success. The second half offers insight for clinicians, therapists, and advocates, providing tools to better support those living with invisible neurological conditions.

With clinical wisdom, vulnerability, and a fierce sense of purpose, Held by Lightning is both a memoir and a resource-a voice for those who've had to live in the shadows of misunderstanding for too long.

Whether you live with epilepsy, love someone who does, or work in the healing professions, this book invites you to see what's been overlooked-and honor what's been held in silence.