July 19, 2022 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson ‘To Everything There Is a Season’: Coping With Grief, Loss, and MS Hello, all. It’s been almost a year since Iāve written a column, and I missed connecting with you. I’ve been processing the grief of losing my mother in September 2020, withstanding the challenges of living with multiple sclerosis and chronic pain, and valiantly attempting to find the message…
April 20, 2022 Columns by Beth Ullah MS and Emotions: Pessimism vs. Realism in Life With Chronic Illness There is an ongoing difference of opinion between my husband and me regarding my general outlook on life. I consider myself to be a realist, whereas he thinks I tend to err on the side of pessimism. I’m an overthinker. I’ve always felt things incredibly intensely. Interestingly, when I read…
December 6, 2021 Columns by Ed Tobias MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Vitamin D Deficiency, Emotions, Neurostimulation Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Early Cognitive Issues in Study I’ve taken a vitamin D supplement for many years because numerous studies have shown a correlation between low vitamin D levels and MS. My levels have been normal for years, and I assume the supplement has helped. Even so,…
June 7, 2021 News by Margarida Maia, PhD Impaired Social Cognition May Affect Well-being of RRMS Patients Impaired social cognition ā lacking the ability to understand and process others’ emotions ā may affect how people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) feel on a day-to-day basis, a small, three-year study has found. RRMS patients with such difficulties were “characterized at follow-up by a higher level of depression…
January 28, 2021 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell To Thrive With SPMS, I’m Learning to Accept All of My Emotions Optimism is kryptonite to the fear and doubt I keep inside. I am grateful for my cheerful disposition because it allows me to maintain balance. But balance is not healing. Left alone, those feelings that I fear ultimately fester. I tend to push aside sadness or frustration. I…
August 28, 2020 Columns by John Connor There’s No Business Like Show Business ā Till There’s No Business In June, I wrote a column about accepting I’d have to physically retire from directing and producing my own stand-up stage show, “The Edge.” Now, because of that which cannot be named, the show is also being retired just short of its 30-year anniversary! Our very first…
March 18, 2019 Columns by Debi Wilson Dealing with MS Personality and Emotional Swings I have always found group settings to be challenging because of my shy and quiet personality. While I do fine talking to people one-on-one, gatherings of three or more can make me squirm. Years ago, the company I worked for held monthly bonding sessions for…
February 11, 2019 News by Jonathan Grinstein Social Cognition Issues Linked to Damage in Specific Brain Region in RRMS Patients, Study Shows Issues with social cognition can occur inĀ relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients even without the presence of cognitive impairment, and are related to damage in a specific brain region known as the amygdala, a study reports. The study, āSocial cognition deficits and the role of…
July 13, 2018 News by Vijaya Iyer, PhD Inability to Express or Process Emotions Also Prevalent in MS Patients, Study Reports A significant number ofĀ multiple sclerosisĀ patients show signs not only of depression and anxiety, but also of alexithymia ā an inability to describe or process emotional responses, a research group in Brazil reported. The study, āHigh levels of alexithymia in patients with multiple sclerosis,ā published in the…
March 8, 2018 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Emotions Run High I am a sensitive individual by nature. Good, bad, or insignificant, that is part of my genetic makeup. I cry when the dog gets hurt in the movie, at every episode of “This Is Us,” and every time I hear “O Holy Night” at Christmas Eve services. While sometimes endearing,…
February 7, 2018 Columns by Cathy Chester 6 ways to help you cope with and accept your MS diagnosis Last updated April 25, 2023 At the intersection of hope and despair is a bench to sit and rest. At least, I hope there is. The bench gives us an opportunity to take a breather from the stresses of the world. Itās a chance to sit and think about which…
January 12, 2018 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Researcher Wins National MS Society Grant to Study Patients’ Emotional Processing Challenges A $44,000Ā National Multiple Sclerosis SocietyĀ grant will allow a researcher at theĀ Kessler FoundationĀ to advance her work on multiple sclerosisĀ patients’Ā emotional processing challenges. Dr.Ā Helen Genova, Kessler’s assistant director of neuropsychology and neuroscience research, has been studying cognitive dysfunction in people with various diseases, including MS. In addition to neurological problems,…
September 25, 2017 Columns by Debi Wilson Calming the Cranky Beast That’s Irritability Irritability can strikeĀ anyone at anytime, and pain, illness, depression ā or just having a bad day ā can all lead to feelings of anxiety and irritability. To those of us with multiple sclerosis (MS), being irritable can come from all of those causes, plus a whole lot more.
July 18, 2017 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson The Emotional Roller Coaster of Managing Emotions with MS I am an emotional, sensitive woman. I like to believe that I have a warm heart in a very cold world. Isnāt this what the world needs? Love, warmth, acceptance and transparency? Recently I find that my emotions change within a millisecond. So, instead of being sensitive, I…
June 6, 2017 News by Patricia Silva, PhD Brain Damage Linked to MS Affects Ability to Interpret Others’ Emotions and Intentions, Study Reports How multiple sclerosis affects the “social brain,” whichĀ governs the ability to understand how others think and feel ā a skill called social cognition ā is linked to specific types of brain damage that occur in MS: both lesions and microscopic changes taking place in the brain’s white matter, aĀ research team…
January 31, 2017 Columns by Teresa Wright-Johnson A Father’s Sage Advice About MS: Take All the Time You Need to Grieve MS is an onerous disease. There are times when I feel as if I am in the midst of a tsunami. Everything comes crashing in and all I want is a safe haven, a level of calm. The tsunami consists of depression, physical symptoms and the destruction of peace.