United Brain Association: Liana Ruppert's Brain Story
Updated: Jan 27
Working with the United Brain Association back in 2021 (wow, just two years but I look like a chubby-cheeked little baby, wholesome), I was a part of a series that dove into the other side of neurodivergence and brain health, particularly when talking about epileptic behavior.
A common misconception is that you have to have epilepsy to have a seizure, and that's just not true. There are so many variables that can compound into the perfect recipe for an epileptic episode and this instance is growing ever more likely as graphics and media continue leaning into hyperrealism and flash for effect.
Sleep deprivation, stress, menstruation, and hormone shifts; there are so many different factors that can lead to a seizure. For me, my Brain Story began when I suffered an injury when overseas. I went from being gamer-turned-active duty hardass only to have my entire worldview shift on its axis due to that brain injury. Suddenly, even commercials could technically be the thing that "does me in," never mind my career as a games writer and reviewer. Do you know how many games have egregious flashing? Hint: it's a lot.
An entirely new world had just been opened up to me, and it was scary.
With the United Brain Association, this video dives deep into that story, that impact, and it gets real about the frustration that comes with that. Bias, the workplace, mental health, near-death - all of those pieces to the puzzle that is me as a person were suddenly evolving, changing shape. What once fit no longer does and what used to not fit now has a new home. This is that story. Thank you for watching, I hope you get something out of it!
You can also learn more about Epilepsy in relation to video games with this handy dandy Epileptic's Guide to Gaming that I wrote while at Game Informer!
For more videos, feel free to mosey on over to my YouTube channel right here. Thanks for making it this far, appreciate you!