The Night Clinic :
Why Not Hold Him Down?
Every zap you hear in the audio is supposed to represent a wild signal from his brain reaching his muscles. The creak is his shoulder straining while he's pinned. (The fast clock, the strain bar and the x-ray are an illustration.)
What letting him move does:
1️⃣ Holding him can't stop a seizure: it comes from his brain, not his arms (London Health Sciences Centre).
2️⃣ His muscles keep pulling hard, so pinning them can injure him, for example a dislocated shoulder, and can hurt you too (CDC; NewYork-Presbyterian).
3️⃣ Most seizures stop on their own within a few minutes (CDC).
Instead: ease him to the floor, move hard or sharp things away, slide something soft and flat (like a folded jacket) under his head, loosen anything tight around his neck, and note the time it starts. Never put anything in his mouth, not even your fingers. When the jerking stops, roll him onto his side and stay with him, talking calmly, until he's fully awake. (If it's easy, you can also gently turn him onto his side during the seizure: CDC.) Call 911 (999 in the UK) if it lasts more than 5 minutes, it's his first seizure, another one follows, he's hurt, it happened in water, or he has trouble breathing or waking up afterwards (CDC; NHS).
In a 2026 survey of 1,159 adults in Italy, about 1 in 4 (24.5%) thought holding someone down during a seizure was the right thing to do (Epilepsia Open).
Be honest: would you have held him down, or let him move? 👇
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2026-10-22 22:56:58