There’s nothing like a chronic illness to make you re-evaluate your inner circle. Some friends will be faithful and supportive while others just won’t seem to get it. They won’t understand that you have symptoms they can’t see and they’ll feel frustrated that they don’t know how to help. Feel free to forward this article to all friends fitting this description.

1) MS is not an excuse. There will be good days and there will be bad ones. 

This makes chronic conditions difficult to understand. It can be hard for friends to truly “get it.” MS attacks the body from the inside out and friends can’t see it happening. If it were the flu, there would be a fever. If it were a broken leg, there would be a cast. If someone were falling down the stairs, there would probably be a scream. Instead, MS is silent. The outside world can’t see, feel or hear patients’ fatigue, pain or depression. There will be good days and there will be bad ones. MS is not an excuse. MS is a condition that patients must live with.

2) You may see an inability to walk, but the real trauma is on the inside.

Can you imagine not having full control of your body? Not being able to wake up and roll out of bed to take on the day ahead? Not being able to quickly accomplish simple tasks like getting dressed? This is the reality of living with MS. Now imagine, waking up, never knowing what kind of day you’re going to get. Whether you’re going to be able to jump up and get on with your day. The sense of loss, the feeling of anger, the worry that life is passing you by when all you want to do is get on and live it. This is the reality of MS, a reality where the support and understanding from friends and family can mean the world.

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