Noah now believes the man he ended up sitting on for the next 15 minutes is the same person referred to as “fake seizure guy” online. Many people have claimed the man has been faking seizures for as long as 10 years in Melbourne.
“I was thinking, he’s being very picky for somebody who is taking time out of their day to lay on top of a man in a park in daylight.”
Losing trust in the public
While it’s unclear what “fake seizure guy’s” motives are, many people with lived experience of seizures claim the man’s behaviour is inconsistent with how someone experiencing a seizure would act.
Todd said faking seizures is “deeply disrespectful” for those who experience seizures.
The alleged “fake seizure guy” has become widely known in Melbourne. Source: Supplied
“Spreading misinformation fuels stigma [and] trivialises the lived experience of individuals with epilepsy and can re-traumatise those who have suffered injury or discrimination due to their condition,” Todd told The Feed.
“If they are in fact faking seizures, there must be some underlying reason why they’re doing it,” Todd said.
A seizure happens when there’s a sudden surge of uncontrolled electrical signals in the brain, which can lead to stiffness, twitching, or behavioural changes.
Australian content creator Christian Hull allegedly sat on top of “fake seizure guy”. Source: Supplied
Another Melburnian, Drew (not his real name), told The Feed he had a similar experience with “fake seizure guy”. He was going for his usual walk in Port Melbourne, when a man fell to his knees and asked to be sat on.
Drew said he heard about “fake seizure guy” after the incident and now he no longer walks his usual route.
The National Epilepsy Line, 1300 374537, operated by Epilepsy Action Australia, is a free, Australia-wide telephone, email, and telehealth service staffed by specialist epilepsy nurses.
