Why is narcolepsy so misunderstood?

[REMRUNNER]

Narcolepsy is a serious neurological disorder involving excessive daytime sleepiness, cataplexy (loss of muscle tone with emotions such as laughter), sleep paralysis and hypnogogic hallucinations. Although narcolepsy affects 1 in every 2,000 people worldwide, it's often misdiagnosed or goes undiagnosed for 3 to 15 years. When will health professionals WAKE UP to the REAL narcolepsy?


This discussion is related to laughing makes me faint.

[Deni2730]

Some doctors hesitate to give you a diagnosis of narcolepsy because your driver's license may be revoked if the condition is severe enough.

[mkh9]

I don't think most people know much about it that is why. I worked with someone that had it and I worked in the medical field so I'm more familiar with it. I'm sorry if you have it. I don't know why it isn't more understood or in the pubic eye so to speak if that many people have it.