What's in a name? (this is just me venting)

I'm sure many parent's whose children have BHS have been in this situation...or maybe not, but I have.  You're out with your child when they have an episode, everyone stops and stares, maybe when it's all over one of the "spectators" stops and asks if your child is ok.  So you explain that your child has a condition which causes them to lose their breath, sometimes pass out and/or have seizures.  "Oh, they hold their breath...I've heard of that", is the response.  

This is the one thing about this condition that has always infuriated me! My child does not "hold" his breath! His breath gets taken away from him!!  It has always bothered me that the medical term for this condition paints our children to be disobedient, defiant, spiteful, manipulative kids, who seem to have more power over their involuntary functions than their adult counterparts.  It takes an awful lot of work to hold your breath until you pass out and/or have a seizure, yet people think these kids do it so easily several times a day to manipulate parents for attention, or to get their way.  

It is time that people are made more aware of this condition, this so called "normal abnormality".  It's so common, yet so few people will see these episodes and know what causes it, know that it is completely INVOLUNTARY.  So few people will see these episodes, and instead of judging, and accusing, be sympathetic to the fact that my child suffers from BHS, he does not control BHS.  If only we could change the name to something else, Breath Cessation Spells, or something that tells a better story of this involuntary condition.  

That's all, I'm done now, thanks for listening ;)