The role of stress in multiple sclerosis

Stress has been analyzed for years to determine Yes stress affects the body. Personal experience with MS and anyone with MS I have spoken to knows stress has a direct impact on us in the short or long term. Or any other chronic illness for that matter.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist for us to also know that ALL types of stress (physical, mental and emotional) have an impact on MS. While MS research focuses on triggers that cause MS viruses, vitamin D deficiency, genetic factors, for example, it appears that the final trigger for the initial attack of MS is often the result of an extremely stressful event such as:

• an accident, injury or illness
• a horribly altered personal situation (for example, death, divorce, new baby, job loss, etc.)
• long-term chronic fatigue from overwork (such as working simultaneously, raising a family, and running a household while neglecting health…)

And these same long-term chronic stresses can be the precursor to more flare-ups as life goes on. These are serious events that require serious attention.

So let’s forget the “if” in the stressor and focus on the “what to do about it” part, because that’s what really matters.

The goal? We want prevent it’s, minimize that, and/or solve stress. The buzzwords used today for this are stress management.

Unfortunately, stress is like anything else in today’s society. It comes in countless varieties (type, intensity, duration, onset, frequency) and there is always more than one to deal with. So to begin with, one has to figure out what the stresses are and then what is causing them. Then we can proceed to prioritize them and finally manage them. It sounds complicated because many times it is. But going through a process to deal with them lessens the overwhelming and impossible feeling they give us and helps us focus on the important things first.

Let’s start with the first bullet above. Obviously, if we have an accident, injury or illness, we take steps to heal or get better. During this process our symptoms are in the crazy zone of our defunct immune system, medications, fever, etc. So while we recover from our physical problem, we have to deal with the rest of the associated stresses (pain, medication side effects, tiredness, missed housework… ).

It is difficult to be patient during this relapse, but it helps if you try to remain calm and focus on the fact that: when the injury/illness improves, the symptoms will be better. Positive frame of mind and attitude is a powerful force in our wellness and healing process.

Furthermore, it is important to take steps to prevent these things happen in the first place. For example, if you have a mobility problem due to fatigue or balance problems, use walking aids to prevent falls and muscle strain; If someone has a cold or flu, stay away…

In the other situations above, when things happen that are out of our control (death, job loss, overwork) stress they can be minimized/resolved and this is how:

• First of all, take care of yourself and your health. Make sure you eat and sleep. Self-control and mental/emotional efficacy are improved while resistance to illness is maintained. Let’s face it, we know how we (re)act when we’re tired or hungry. I get scared when I’m tired and my husband is a beast when he’s hungry; so he heads to bed and he heads to the fridge.
• Seek help and support from others to lessen the load. Professional counseling, peers, and support groups are invaluable for sharing, caring, problem solving, finding connections, and letting off steam in a “safe” environment. Contact and ask for help from friends, family, neighbors, your religious association, etc. for physical, financial, domestic issues. If you’re worried about humiliating yourself or feeling embarrassed, don’t. You would do it for them; let them help you.
• Learn to say “no” to anything that would overload you, no matter the circumstances. Make a list of your priorities and review them frequently.
• Discover ways to change your lifestyle. Once again, rely on the help of others. I was a perfectionist, an independent person and a constant doer. Therapy and incessant fatigue transformed me into a non-perfectionist (so what if the house wasn’t cleaned?), a more dependent person (I let others clean, cook and wash for me) and less entrepreneurial (I make the time to rest in a quiet room at various intervals).

In contrast, short-term stress will cause symptoms to worsen from an hour to a day or two. However, the good news is that short-term stress can be quickly and easily remedied when identified.

This can include anything like lack of sleep, an argument, heat, or allergies. Having an argument with my husband will frustrate me, causing me to drop things more and spasm my legs. So I take a break and find ways to de-stress, like swimming/exercising, taking a walk around the block, reading, phoning a friend, reading, shopping online, taking deep breaths…whatever works for me. calm down . Then I am better able to think and cope.

If I’m hot, I cool down with ice water or ice packs. Showers and baths are definitely rejuvenating. When I start a new medicine, I may have side effects; If the effects don’t subside in a week or two, I might decide to stop if the side effects are worse than the benefits I’m getting from them. If monthly periods are causing too much havoc, it’s time to call the gynecologist. I personally took a hormonal control birth control pill for years to help me with this problem.

In the past, I have talked to my doctors about different medications to try to help with stress/the effects of things like depression, anxiety, or insomnia. These are very common problems with MS, and there is nothing wrong with taking something to help us cope. I have successfully used antidepressants, anxiety pills, and sleeping pills on and off over the years.

There is much merit in the newer alternative therapies, such as deep breathing, yoga, pilates, and tai chi, to name a few. I have tried them all and they provide great benefit for relaxation as well as helping with issues associated with symptoms such as weakness, balance, endurance and fatigue. These can be learned from videos, online resources and local MS club/association/chapter programmes.

There are ways that these techniques can be incorporated into daily activities. For example, deep breathing can be done while taking a shower. Standing on one leg while washing dishes can help with balance.

Whatever might help (medicines, alternative therapies, therapy/self-help groups, etc.), it never hurts to try it and see if it works for you. As with anything, what works for one person may not work for another. And I always say: “Two heads are better than one” to find a problem or a solution.

If there is no clear problem or solution, find a partner to talk to. It’s comforting to just unload the stress, secrets, and complaints to get it off your chest. There is no one better than a partner or a good and loyal friend to “turn on”. They would do it for you as you would for them. And, yes, “misery loves company.”

Finally, it’s okay to go ahead and roll up! Go into a room alone, close the door and let him out. Yells, yells, cries, uses or throws pillows. Most of the time I do very well, but then that moment comes. I give myself a break to loosen up and lose control. Like a pressure cooker. I earned that right, and so do you. It doesn’t solve anything, but it sure feels good.