The brain is an amazing organ. The longer I live with multiple sclerosis (MS), and the more I study the disease, its effects, and our brains’ responses to the disease, the more amazed I am by it.
The brain, however, is not the mind. And while the brain plays an important role in our emotions, it’s the mind that attempts to make sense of our experiences and the feelings they evoke.
Both play a role when it comes to mental health.
Mental Health Resources for People With MS
I’m not the only one thinking about mental health and MS. All of the major MS patient advocacy sites I use as resources have some level of coverage about MS and mental health.
The MS Society UK has extensive resources on the topic for people living with multiple sclerosis. Their coverage, ranging from depression and anxiety to grief and uncontrolled emotions, offers a lot for ourselves and our loved ones if we’re having trouble coping with the emotional effects of MS.
The National MS Society has information on emotional health for patients, as well as guidance for healthcare professionals who care for individuals with MS. It is so important to educate professionals about both general MS symptoms, as well as invisible symptoms, such as mental health issues, that patients themselves might have trouble acknowledging or describing.
I also found useful information on depression, anxiety, and pseudobulbar affect in an article entitled “Multiple Sclerosis and Mental Health: 3 Common Challenges,” published by Johns Hopkins Medicine.
My Own Contributions to the Discussion
As many of you know, I host a series of webcasts for MS Ireland called The Unspeakable Bits. While we’ve touched on issues related to mental health with topics like relationships, lost connections, and even getting through the stresses of Christmas with MS, we haven’t yet attacked some of the big ones like depression, anxiety, and grief. I’d say that we’ll be looking closely at that for our next series schedule.
I’ve signed off these Life With Multiple Sclerosis pieces for over 18 years with the same tagline, which wishes good health to all and their families. I suppose I’ve always been thinking of our physical health when doing so. But I suppose I also should be thinking of mental health when I write these words.
Wishing you and your family the best of health.
Cheers,
Trevis
