The 5 Major Factors of Psychological Adjustment to Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a major cause of neurological disability in young adults. There are at least five major factors of psychological adjustment to MS.
1. The personality of the patient
The first factor of psychological adjustment to multiple sclerosis is the personality of the patient. Some patients adapt quickly to new life whereas others are trapped in the stage of disbelief and continue to be depressed for a long time after the diagnosis.
2. The quality of Family support
The second factor of psychological adjustment to multiple sclerosis is the quality of support available to the patient within his family. All stakeholders should have an idea about the family dynamics before, during and after diagnosis. They should ask the following questions: Does the patient have a life together? What kind of relationship the patient has with his close relatives (children, spouse, and extended family)? The answers to these questions are important because the psychological suffering of a patient may result from tensions within his family (rejection, stigma, exclusion, indifference). Often a psychological maltreatment develops between the patient and his relatives; they feel unable to bear the daily progress of the disease.
3. The skills of social openness
The skills of social openness are the third factor of psychological adjustment to multiple sclerosis. They in fact correspond to how the patient is able to seek support and mental peace in his surroundings especially his family and friends. It helps the patient feel supported in the unhappy moments. Continuing his or her job helps the patient cope up with the new realities associated with the disease because continuing work lifts up the spirit of the patient and fills him with the feeling of productivity.
4. The quality of the relationship with the doctor
The quality of the relationship of the patient with the doctors (in the broadest sense, which also includes paramedical workers also) plays as a factor in psychological adjustment to multiple sclerosis. The patient has a high level of dependence on his doctor for psychological support as well as for the management of the disease.
5. The disease
The disease and its prognosis play an important role in the psychological adjustment of patients with multiple sclerosis. If the disease progresses slowly, the patient gets accustomed to his newly acquired disabilities gradually but if the disease has a rapid progression, the patient can not adjust and his life is compromised both physically and psychologically.
These factors play a vital role in the quality of life of the patient with multiple sclerosis. Obviously the most important factor is the personality of the patient who can adjust with the development of the disease as it progresses.
The author Javed Anwar loves to write informative articles on the net to help people understand their medical conditions. His current project is http://www.signsnsymptoms.com/. Find out the natural way to cure multiple sclerosis in his latest article Signs and Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis.
Quality of ife in Multiple Sclerosis- The Facts
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) has a considerable impact on quality of life of patients and may induce a depressive syndrome that is expressed most often by instability, worry, discouragement, or restlessness.
Quality of life encompasses three main areas: physical, psychological and social. These three areas are strongly interlinked, social integration is often dependent on the physical and psychological impact of the disease.
Multiple sclerosis affects life at all levels: family, social relations, emotional life, professional life, hobbies and financial equilibrium. The changing nature and unpredictability of the disease hinders many patients in the realization of a life oriented to the future. It appears that, when given the right tools, people with MS manage to make a place for the disease in their life and to live a meaningful life with the support of their loved ones.
Multiple sclerosis is a major cause of neurological disability in young adults and often leads to a loss of employment a few years after diagnosis, the average age of life where work is often considered not only necessary to provide for his needs, but also a powerful factor of social integration. The disease appears, moreover, to be a barrier to access to promotion or training.
The rate of absenteeism caused by MS is on average 30 days per year and only slightly higher than for general diseases. Multiple sclerosis patients do not have a greater risk of accidents at work. The two major factors that cause work stoppages are fatigue and physical disorders. In general they have a strong desire to retain their jobs. At first they are afraid of losing their position and express anxiety both at relational and professional level. But after several years of experience, they appreciate their employability as very positive. They feel more welcome at work and at home, their sense of security greatly improves and their vitality increases considerably.
Nearly half of the multiple sclerosis patients retain the ability to work after they have ceased their occupational activity. Fatigue and cognitive impairment are often mentioned by patients as factors to explain their work stoppage. In the ability to maintain employment, personal attributes, the positive face of disease, environmental factors such as financial situations and family should be taken into account.
In terms of independent living and daily travel arrangements, the rehabilitation of patients of multiple sclerosis is necessarily linked to the severity of impairments and disabilities. The pursuit of an occupation is certainly an important factor in the quality of life. Hence the importance of providing people with multiple sclerosis the information and guidance in choosing the appropriate type of job and workplace.
People with Multiple sclerosis can live a normal life provided they are supported by their family, friends, colleagues, health care professionals and rehabilitation agencies.
The author Javed Anwar loves to write informative articles on the net to help people understand their medical conditions. His current project is http://www.signsnsymptoms.com/. Find out the natural way to cure multiple sclerosis in his latest article Signs and Symptoms Multiple Sclerosis.
Currently Available Treatments for Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is a frustrating disease because the current treatments are few and at present, there is no cure for multiple sclerosis, but the available drugs can slow the disease course. Synthetic forms of beta interferon (a natural immunomodulator that regulates the immune response) reduce the frequency and severity of relapses and decrease the degree of disability over time.
Glatiramer acetate is a mixture of synthetic polymers which may act as a decoy for the immune system, dilutes the attack on myelin which covers the cells in the brain and spinal cord. For this reason, you can decrease the frequency of relapses, which in turn reduces the progression of disease.
There are treatments for specific symptoms, such as steroids (which are usually given in high doses intravenously for a few days, between 3 and 5), which can shorten the duration of an attack. Some drugs can alleviate spasticity, fatigue and disorders of micturition.
People with MS tend to verify that non-pharmacological treatments such as regular exercise and adequate rest can help them maintain a more active life. Physical therapy and exercise can help strengthen the weakened muscles and improve coordination. Occupational therapy can improve the skills to teach everyday people how to cope with multiple sclerosis with a reduced capacity of movement and speech therapy can improve the difficulties in speaking and swallowing.
Advances in research may help people affected by multiple sclerosis and their families. At present, investigations are focused on ways to block the specific immune cells that attack myelin, and how to harness the natural growth factors that can stimulate the replenishment of tissues destroyed by disease. It also seeks to prevent the axonal degeneration that causes the progression of disability in the advanced forms.
One of the pioneers in the nutritional treatment of Multiple Sclerosis is Dr. Roy Swank, Professor of Neurology at the School of Medicine, University of Oregon.
The key nutritional recommendations, according to Dr. Swank, are: 1) saturated fat intake of no more than 10 grams per day. 2) A daily intake of 40 to 50 grams of polyunsaturated oils (margarine and hydrogenated oils are not permitted). 3) At least a daily spoonful of cod liver oil. 4) It allows the normal intake of protein and 5) Fish consumption, should be three or more times a week.
Another novelty in the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis is the use of electromagnetic fields. This is very important to clarify that the electromagnetic fields that are used in this case are low intensity, extremely low frequencies and carefully controlled. These applications are extra-cranial and are 20 minutes once a week. The results are variable and more research is needed to refine this form of treatment.
Hopefully the medical science will soon find a definitive treatment for multiple sclerosis so that this disabling disease is controlled right in the beginning of its course.
The author Javed Anwar writes informative articles to help people understand their medical conditions. His current project is http://www.signsnsymptoms.com/. Find out the natural way to cure multiple sclerosis in his latest article Signs and Symptoms Multiple Sclerosis.
Do You Have These Signs and Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis?
Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic disease diagnosed primarily in young adults, who often start to feel symptoms between 20 and 40 years. Multiple sclerosis (from the Greek ‘hardening’) is a disease of the central nervous system that affects the brain, brain stem and spinal cord. Myelin, the substance that coats nerve fibers, is damaged, and then the ability of nerves to lead the orders of the brain is interrupted. This is the most common chronic disease in young adults in Europe and the second leading cause of disability in this population group, after accidents.
Most researchers believe that MS is an autoimmune disease in which the body launches a defensive attack against its own tissues, including myelin. For this reason, it is possible that these attacks of immune system are associated with an environmental component of unknown origin, perhaps a virus. Probably some genetic predisposition also plays the role.
Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis
There are no typical symptoms of MS to assist with the initial diagnosis. Even it is usual that the first episodes go unnoticed by the vagueness of the symptoms. Often the first signs appear as vision problems, either in the form of blurred vision, double vision or vision loss.
Most patients also experience abnormal sensations such as tingling, numbness and itching, loss of strength in the arms or legs, and disorders of balance or coordination. Also common are dizziness, problems urinating or defecating, nonspecific pain, changes in character, and so on.
Types of Multiple Sclerosis
The appearance and disappearance of unexplained symptoms usually characterize the initial diagnosis of MS. Although each individual shows a different evolution, the disease usually manifests itself first in a series of attacks, followed by a complete or partial remission, which is subsequently repeated with alternating periods of improvement. This is known as multiple sclerosis, relapse-remission, the most common form of the disease.
For its part, the secondary-progressive form begins as above but then gradually gets worse, with no significant improvement and an accumulation of neurological symptoms. In other cases, these disorders progress slowly from the beginning with little relief, but no clear improvement (primary-progressive MS). Over time, muscle weakness, lack of coordination, balance problems, muscle stiffness, tingling and the other disorders such as bladder control, pain or fatigue may become more frequent and severe.
In addition, 20% of patients suffering from a benign form of the disease in which symptoms regress after the initial attack and then the patients continue with a virtually normal life. In the case of malignant sclerosis, deterioration is rapid and progressive and has a significant disability. In very rare cases the disease is fatal but most patients have a normal life expectancy.
Diagnosis
MRI and the study of cerebrospinal fluid are done to confirm the diagnosis. MRI can help locate the lesions in the central nervous system. These are called ‘plaques’ and are areas where myelin has been lost. Usually they are small and scattered in a diffuse pattern. Other sites of lesions are the optic nerves, the brain stem and spinal cord.
The specific treatment of each symptom is important to offer a better quality of life for patients, while rehabilitation is designed to preserve the functionality in their daily lives and prevent further disabilities. They often require nursing care and psychological care.
The author Javed Anwar loves to write informative articles on the net to help people understand their medical conditions. His current project is http://www.signsnsymptoms.com/. Find out the natural way to cure multiple sclerosis in his latest article Signs and Symptoms Multiple Sclerosis.
How Montel Williams Conquers Multiple Sclerosis
If you’re like me, than you couldn’t wait to watch Oprah Winfrey yesterday and watch and see how Montel felt and reacted to his diagnosis of MS.
Each and every hour someone in the world is diagnosed with the life sentence of multiple sclerosis. Today, we see some 400,000 people with multiple sclerosis. And the shocking truth is that the victims are becoming younger and younger.
Montel, once a navel officer like many of us tried to hide his diagnosis with MS, but once a newspaper writer threatened to expose his truth Montel decided to publically announce his diagnosis with MS.
On the set, Montel conducted his interview with poise, but when he discussed how he wanted Oprah to remain on her show past 2011 he became emotional. During the interview Montel cried behind the scenes and then would regain his composure to reenter the stage.
Montel stated that his primary symptoms of multiple sclerosis were pain, shooting pain up and down his body and in his face. Montel stated,It felt like someone was stabbing me in the face with a fork. Then he was asked, how do you deal with this? You get a grip was his response.
Montel then leads on to how he REALLY deals with his pain and anguish.
It’s called Visualizations.
During the show, Montel had all people in the audience close their eyes, and then visualize a moment in their life where they were happy, a moment of joy.
A moment where no one or no disease can take away your peace and happiness.
A place where all problems, and concerns were gone.
The word visualization doesn’t accurately describe what you do in your mind when you create change. When you picture what you want in an empowering way, a way that changes your state of mind and pushes your emotional pistons- all you’ve really doing is REMEMBERING something from the past- and adding what you IMAGINE for your future.
What this is called is Psycho Cybernetics and it was created by Dr. Maxwell Maltz in the early 1960s.
I often tell my patients, If you can remember, worry, or tie your shoe, you will have no trouble applying this method. The things you are called upon to do are simple, but you must practice and experience. Visualizing, creative mental picturing is no more difficult that what you do when you remember some scene out of the past, or worry about the future. Acting out new action patterns is no more difficult than deciding, then following thought on tying your shoes in a new and different manner each morning, instead of continuing to tie them in your old habitual way, without thought or decision.
I often visualize myself walking, because like Montel one of my greatest fears was ending up in a wheelchair.
Today I do realize that if this were to happen- my life would be fine. But honestly, it’s something I don’t want to see happen. Therefore I visualize myself walking each and every day.
Robert Groth is the author of “Conquer Multiple Sclerosis”. To receive a FREE Ebook go to http://www.conquerms.com