Stress and MS

[sllowe]

All,

Please be informed of what stress can do to your MS and/or your chronic illness.

There are many individual studies. analysis and reviews of studies and articles that speak to the increase of exacerbations and MS.  There is solid literature in the field to support it's affects.

Here are just a few links I've kept bookmarked for sometime and I hope you find them as educational as I have.

I'll put up some more on this discussion once I change computers:

http://meagherlab.tamu.edu/M-Meagher/%20Health%20Psyc%20630/Readings%20630/PNI%20read%203%3A15/Mohr%2004.pdf

http://monkeyman.pbworks.com/f/MSarticle+3.pdf

http://nnr.sagepub.com/content/2/1/7.abstract

http://www.braininjury.com/multiplesclerosis.html

http://lansbury.bwh.harvard.edu/ms_and_stress.htm

http://www.somer.co.il/articles/2008%20Impact%20of%20exposure%20to%20war%20stress%20on%20exacerbations%20of%20multiple%20sclerosis.pdf

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/11/021126200637.htm

http://books.google.com/books?id=h_wvGURM1ZgC&pg=PA1110&lpg=PA1110&dq=stress+induced+exacerbations+MS&source=bl&ots=Y4jMy2Pg8A&sig=1IeZEqR4kb9uZ2CUmuM7lUYX7iE&hl=en&ei=noYgTsbAOcTpgQfOxIDkBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CFgQ6AEwCDgK#v=onepage&q=stress%20induced%20exacerbations%20MS&f=false

Happy Reading! Who was it looking for something good to read??

-Shell

[drsdonthelp]

This is cracking me up!! LOL

I am a Big Time avoider of stress!!!
I come from a very large Italian family and all we do is "get together", and some of my family like to "talk loud"LOL ya  know what I mean!
I am quite a bit different than some of my family members that like to argue. Me,.... it drives me insane and I have to walk away. I like to think of my self as the "peace keeper" and am always trying to lend an ear for someone to talk to , but when I feel the conversation taking a turn for the worse and my helping is NOT HELPING , then I remove myself from the situation.

I like to take this oppurtunity to thank "Celexa" for always making me happy and smiling. LOL

I tend to laugh at myself when I bump into walls, or almost break my toes from smashing them into the center island of my kitchen. And when I hear people complain about how bad they looked in a picture, I say don't feel so bad, look at my goofy crooked eyes, and my crooked glasses, all I need is the crooked cane and crooked house!! Certainly makes me feel better! LOL

Its definately hard sometimes to not stress, and I believe that most of my stress is from my Docs. That's why I have been on a break from them!! LOL

Take Care and thanks for the laugh!
Pam

[Deb61]

Better for the MS to be cool and stress free!  

[sllowe]

Ya know, it's cooler that way :)

[sllowe]

Or, you can step up to the plate, FMonty

[jujuminx]

Oh you guys are a riot!  Thanks for the laugh and the stress relief this morning.

I too do little things to relieve the stress. Most importantly I am trying to change my point of view about what's important and what isn't which helps me not get stressed about things that would have sent me over the edge a year ago.

People who judge me now for declining to "step up to the plate" and do whatever activity at church or school they think I should do just don't bother me anymore. It took a while for me to let that go, that others thought I was trying to get out of something.

I just tell myself that no amount of stress is worth a relapse and I am usually able to let it go.  Of course there are so many things that you have no control over that you just have to mitigate as well as you can, take care of yourself as best as you can and pray for the best.

It always helps to have friends who understand what you are going through, that's one of the many reasons I love this forum.

Julie

[Deb61]

LOL!  I'm having fun with that!  The visuals are soooooo funny!  There will be no stress today!  LOL  

[sllowe]

Or, you can always run clear from those who don't know while full monty, lol

[supermum_ms]

ROFL!!!!!

It must mean something different over in the states but over here the 'full monty' means nude lol so i totally disagree that "Handling the stress in the full monty causes all sorts of problems" i think having all your wobbly bits hanging out might actually get you and everyone else laughing!

Cheers...........JJ

[supermum_ms]

I saw a program the other day, it was called the young ones, it was basically about turning back the (age) clock, lol not important but they did some 'stress' tests on a group of first line emergency service personel, a highly stressful profession. They did blood pressure and cotisone levels prior to getting them to do a 'laugh course' they were all sceptical about laughing lower their stress levels.

Their blood pressure was practically the same as it was prior but their cortisone levels were significantly lowered, cortisone levels are suppose to indicate your stress level. Everyone who participated had lower levels, all except the compare who was tested but he didn't want to participate, he was really annoyed by the silliness of the laugh course and didn't like the idea at all. Well his cortisone level significantly went up, so as everyone else was letting go of their stress by being silly and having a laugh, he was getting irritated and he was getting stressed.

So I figure because i laugh my little *** off multiple times a day, easily finding the silly in just about anything, then my stress levels must be low. I never seem to get to a point of feeling stressed, even when i'm going head to head with a pig headed teen, it always seems to end in laughter, dont know why but its the truth.

Maybe laughter is the best medicine sometimes lol laugh my friends laugh!

Cheers............JJ

[Deb61]

I think a page on handling stress would be good.  Shel, the web sites are great--thanks!

I've had a tremendous amount of stress when my daughter got married.  If I could give a bit of advice about this or any other huge undertaking it would be planning and doing a little bit here and there and don't procrastinate!  Procrastination results in adding a tremendous amount of stress in a short period of time.  

Trying to cope with stressors a little bit at a time, helped too.  When I was having a hard time with an important detail for the wedding, I took several time outs.  I went to Starbucks with my husband and sat and talked for a while, I played the piano or painted and thought about the dilemna in little bits.  I can no longer take on huge issues by doing everything at once.  I just don't have the strength.  Handling the stress in the full monty causes all sorts of problems.

  

[sllowe]

Your very welcome! I have more info if anyone wants to read about it, direct, and indirect stress, our responses to it, etc.

I remember when this forum was in it's infancy - and at one point we use to have our members put up their timeline and chain of events, funny, but from what I remember many of them started like this............

     I was working on, or doing, this, this AND this - nothing out of the ordinary, and WHAM! All the s h i t hit the fan - I couldn't walk a straight line, couldn't speak, or my leg completely left  me, and so on, and so on.  

I bring this "stress" business because I was, and always have been a planner - just so long as there is enough minutes in the day to finish my task list - all is fine, and when things change, just need those extra minutes to make the adjustment. Doesn't stress me out? Sound familiar? But, this is a snippet of what happend to me for those who may not know...

Out of no-where at the tailend of a long project, I had lots to do, but it's how I roll, I like having lots to do. I'm not sure how to operate w/downtime (back then, lol). I knew what I was doing, knew what needed to be done, and all of a sudden, nothing worked!

Couldn't speak w/out slurring, couldn't make my body react, etc. Was I stressed before hand? No. Did I not respond to my work (what would be stressful to some) properly? NO.

It was this disease - not me, I didn't bring it on, nor did my immediate environment or how I manage my life.  But, now, and from that point on - I can't operate full speed ahead. I remove myself stressful situations, I've slowed down - bigtime - had to.

Stressors, whether indirect or direct, physical or mental, definitely affect your MS whether you want them to or not. Run clear away from anyone who says otherwise - they are simply clueless.  

While we can't control everything we can definitely avoid and keep it to a minimum for our healths sake.

So sorry to be long winded - really just care, and looking out for you all :)
(((Hugs))))

[COBOB]

"Stress refers to the consequence of the failure of an organism to respond adequately to mental, emotional, or physical demands, whether actual or imagined."  The Stress of Life, Hans Selye, New York: McGraw-Hill, 1956

My neurologist said MS will cause me more stress than anything outside of the disease and the best thing to do was not to stress out over trying to manage my stress.  He basically said it was a fools errand.  He suggested that chronic disease has inherent stress (physical, mental, & emotional) so blaming stress for triggering an exacerbation is like blaming MS for causing an exacerbation.

The best bet is to try and be healthy.  My job is very stressful, but it kind of relieves the financial stresses.  I think I'll  take the financial security.  By all accounts, SSI and SSDI seem to be more stressful than my job.  In the modern world, you can not escape stress.  The best bet for me is not fail when responding to the real or imagined challenges.

I have enough issues with MS.  I think I will choose not to let everything that happens with the disease or outside it add to the stress payload.  I had oral surgery Thursday and the bill will be outrageous, but that is not stressful (insurance will cover most of it.)  Having round 3 of optic neuritis and loosing my vision again would cause me stress.  I tend to fail to respond adequately when I go blind.

Bob

[Sarahsmom46]

I had a neurologist tell me one time how devastating stress is on MS and back then I just brushed her comments off as just another way of passing off our illness to stress.  Well, she knew better than I did at the time.  Now that I know better, I will not brush stress off again.  

I am now going to go read the links you posted and I hope others will as well.  Stress + MS = Disaster.  :)

Julie

[jujuminx]

I am one of those people who regarless of what the literature says, solid medical studies or not,  definately is effected by the stress.  

I have had three exacerbations in the last 19 yrs and ALL of them appearing when I woke up in the morning from epic stress the night before.

For some, maybe most, stress is just a small factor in their exacerbations but for me, it is like a switch to turn on an attack.

Thanks for the links Shell!

Julie

[grannyhotwheels]

Thanks Shell for this great reading material... I'm constantly telling my children that stress is one of the worst things for me so they had better be good...lol... It works great for the older 2 but my baby is a completely different story.... He seems to keep me stressed... Not on purpose but every day when he wakes up I wonder what it will be today...lol... not quite that bad...

The one thing that has me stressed the most right now is that he is 17 and a Junior in high school... he is also fixing to be a daddy with his girlfriend who graduated last school year... We strongly urged him and her not to marry until at least after he graduates high school... They have both agreed to this for which is a relief to me...

I pray they love each other and do spend the rest of their lives together but because they want to not because they are having a baby... Then boom with 3 weeks to go until her due date he breaks up with her... he said he didn't think he loved her any more but you let her even talk to another guy and he flips...

No matter what she will always be apart of our family because she is the mother of our grand child... A big stresser for me right now is that she comes over all the time... Zach is very uncomfortable with this and I don't know what to do...

Now that you all have heard my wonderful story of stress I can honestly tell you that stress is horrible on people with MS... Shell, I'm going to run copies of this materiel and leave it on my sons desk so he has to read it... Maybe just maybe... lol

I'll be praying,
Carol

[sllowe]

Looks like you'll have to copy and paste them into your browser :)