| Emotional problems and difficulties with multiple sclerosis
are extremely common. This is unsurprising considering the impact
having multiple sclerosis can have in your life.
Emotional problems may develop due to the disease itself and can
also develop simply as a result of becoming overwhelmed by the implications
of having multiple sclerosis and the outlook for the future.
Regardless of what age you are when multiple sclerosis is diagnosed
(average age of diagnosis is around 37 years of age), the emotional
blows inflicted are quite considerable.
People usually find they become frightened (even if they don't admit
it) by the prospect of multiple sclerosis. In part, this is due to a
lack of knowledge on the subject and the stereotypical picture
many people already have.Another huge emotional blow is the impact
that developing the disease may have on life plans and direction.
The ability to work may be affected, throwing future plans into disarray.
This often becomes an ever increasing reality as the disease progresses
over time, although it may take many years before a person's ability
to work is affected to the point of have to give up employment.
Other sources of emotional distress may result from the changes it
is necessary to make to family life, such as switching roles within
the family unit, for example, from wage earner.
Uncontrollable emotional outbursts are usually the result
of the disease process.Suddenly laughing for no apparent reason (even
to yourself) or suddenly bursting into tears are usually the result
of disease activity and tend to occur with lesion formation in the areas
of the brain which are involved with emotion.
This type of emotional difficulty is known as emotional lability
(severe mood swings), or the pseudobulbar affect (uncontrollable
laughing / crying).
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