@Mental Health during diagnosis on Shift.ms

Mental Health during diagnosis

I don’t even know where to start as I’m not formally diagnosed and still awaiting results and further testing but a couple of lesions have been found, MS was always a scary word for me as I had seen what it could do working in healthcare as my first job at 17, I’m now 24 looking at being diagnosed, MRI’s and lumbar punctures with no answers yet. I have a lot of fear for the future as MS is different for everyone so I don’t know what to expect and find it hard to live my life right now without constant panic attacks or getting very upset at work, can anyone tell me how they got through this and the best way to deal with this? My family are supportive but nobody in my family has it

- Ask your GP if there is any cognitive behavioural therapy sessions available in your area. If your diagnosis is confirmed, you should be able to arrange some sessions through the MS society. In the meantime, try keeping a diary, writing down all your negative thoughts and moans, getting it off your chest. - Focus on empowerment. Get your information from MS Society, MS UK and not from random google searches. Knowledge is power - read about disease modifying therapies so you’re ahead of the game if you’re asked to choose one. Learn about the things you can do to help yourself for life - exercise, eating well, stress reduction. - Without degenerating into toxic positivity of course, remind yourself of the plus points of your situation. You are young and if MS is diagnosed now, it’s likely you’re in the early stages. There are more and effective therapies available now than ever before in history and likely in your lifetime - in the next decade - we’ll see even more effective therapies, maybe even re-myelination medications. Remind yourself that even before today’s effective DMDs, the clinical course is so variable with MS, that less than half of people had mobility issues so severe as to require a wheelchair. And you, as a care assistant, will have seen the more severe end of the spectrum and none of the rest. It’s a scary, dark time honestly around diagnosis but it does get better. You and your attitude is a huge factor in this. The body is so closely connected to the mind that everything - chronic pain, fatigue, etc. can be majorly impacted by how you approach your health. If you resolve to live a good life despite this diagnosis, and do everything you need to do to stay healthy, chances are good that you will live that life. And don’t get sucked in to any specialised diets or supplements or any other advice that sounds off the wall. You’re in a vulnerable position right now and don’t need to listen to anyone who tells you that you can change your life by not eating meat / eating meat / giving up sugar/yeast/gluten or sucking down expensive supplements.