Living with MS in Your 20s:Staying True to You

Rosalind C. Kalb, PhDClinical PsychologistNational Multiple Sclerosis Society

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What We’ll Be Talking About Today

• Strategies for incorporating MS into your busy life

• Tips for living fully and having fun while living with MS

• Steps you can take to build and maintain important connections

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Creating Your MS Roadmap

• Start building your healthcare team

• Learn about MS– Focus on yours rather than everyone else’s

– Be a cautious consumer

• Look at your coping strategies– Figure out what works; what doesn’t1

• Take care of your general health– Think moderation—diet, exercise, rest2

– Pay attention to your mood3

1 McCabe, MP, McKern, S, McDonald E. (2004). Coping and psychological adjustment among people with

multiple sclerosis. Journal of psychosomatic Research, 56: 355-361.2Bowling AC. (2007). Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Multiple Sclerosis.. Denver, CO:Demos.3Patten SB, Beck CA, William, JVA, Barbui C, Metz LM. (2003). Major depression in multiple sclerosis. A

population-based perspective. Neurology, 61:1524-1527.

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• Listen to your body

• Be willing to try new things and do old things differently

• Make plans…and back-up plans

• Help someone else (and take your mind off yourself)

• Polish up your sense of humor

• Make room for MS in your life (but don’t give it more than it needs)

Having Fun While Living with MS

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• Make thoughtful disclosure decisions4

– Figure out who, what, why, when

– A word about social networking

• Be prepared to teach others what

you need them to know– No one can read your mind

• Maintain important relationships along the way– Be proactive, engaging, creative

• Connect with the MS community– In person, online, at events—whatever feels

like a good fit for you

4Kalb N, Holland N, Giesser B. (2007). Multiple Sclerosis for Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Building Your Support Network, Staying Connected

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Top Take-Aways

• There’s no need to make a career out of your MS—it’s only one part of who you are

• No one can read your mind—so take time to help the important people in your life understand what you need—and what you don’t need

• Approach your MS as a series of challenges to be met—and remember that you don’t have to do it all on your own

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Helpful Resources

– National MS Society®

(nationalmssociety.org)

– MS LifeLines®, a free educational resource sponsored by EMD Serono and Pfizer, Inc. (mslifelines.com)

– Real Talk. Real Answers program Web site (realtalkrealanswers.com)

– Can Do MS, lifestyle empowerment programs for people with MS(mscando.org)

– Relationship Matters, a program for couples living with MS(nationalmssociety.org/relationshipmatters)

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