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MS Awareness Week 2024

@EleanorAdmin
MS Awareness Week 2024

Join the conversation 22-28 April, #MSUnfiltered

Have you ever felt embarrassed about any of your MS symptoms? You are not alone. 85% of the MSers we surveyed said they were embarrassed by at least one of their symptoms.

Embarrassment leads to silence. This Awareness Week we’ve teamed up with six other MS charities – MS Society, MS Trust, MS Together, MS-UK, Neuro Therapy Network and Overcoming MS – to break that silence.

Throughout MS Awareness Week, we’ll be posting fresh stories from MSers talking openly about mental health, bladder issues, and sexual dysfunction. Plus, we’ll share advice from healthcare professionals on how to talk to your support networks about different symptoms. 

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George Pepper, co-founder and CEO of Shift.ms, says: “Being diagnosed with MS can feel like the world being pulled out from underneath you. I know from personal experience that it can be difficult to disclose your condition to the people closest to you, and there are some symptoms MSers feel more comfortable talking about than others. Keeping struggles hidden can lead to chronic isolation, and makes it difficult for MSers to get the help they may desperately need. 

Breaking the silence around hidden or embarrassing symptoms is a hugely powerful campaign that we’re excited to champion with six other MS charities for MS Awareness Week 2024. Together, we want to make it easier for MSers to speak to their support networks without fear of being stigmatised or dismissed. If we break these barriers today, the newly diagnosed MSers of tomorrow will feel more empowered and better equipped to manage their own health.”   

As hard as it can be, talking about your symptoms is the only way to find support, and healthcare professionals can only help you manage symptoms if they understand what you’re going through.

Talk to your healthcare team; it’s what they’re there for. 

Want to know how other MSers are managing their symptoms? Ask them. Post your questions in the Shift.ms forum, search through thousands of posts from members, and support other MSers’ posts by tapping the 🤝 button or sharing your own experience.

Already a member? Visit the forum

Not a member? Join to the Shift community

Search #MSUnfiltered to keep up to date with all things MS Awareness Week, and join the conversation by sharing your story with the hashtag or in comments.

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About the author

@EleanorAdmin

Hi I'm Eleanor, the Marketing and Communications Coordinator here at Shift.ms. I'm 24 and based in Birmingham, UK. If there's one thing you should know about me, it's the fact that I love a chat! Feel free to message me regarding all things volunteering and comms or just for a natter. If you have applied to volunteer with us through the online form, I may DM you to get you set up with a role. Please follow me back to ensure we can message back and forth. Sending love to all MSers.