When Zoe Cartledge has an epileptic seizure, she doesn't fall to the ground or convulse. Instead, her body freezes up, her eyes glaze over and she begins to overheat.

She has had numerous seizures on Sydney's trains and buses, sometimes finding herself as far as two hours away from her destination once she regains control of her mind and body.

Zoe Cartledge, 27, used to have 10 to 30 seizures a day. Credit:Louise Kennerley

"Before I started taking medications, I had five- to 30-minute seizures about 10 to 30 times a day. Now I have no more than two a week," said Ms Cartledge, 27, from Blacktown.

"Sometimes I can sense it's about to happen and I try to talk myself out of it, but this backfires because I make it a lot worse, I start to overheat and my anxiety skyrockets."