Many people treat and speak about multiple sclerosis like it’s an enemy, something that you need to always be on guard for, always waiting, always defending yourself. The amount of pressure this approach puts on you is incredible.
It’s good to be prepared to face a chronic and often debilitating disease, I totally agree. MS is something that you need to be strong to handle both physically and mentally. But as it happens with all things that we see as being the enemy, we become defensive and live in a permanent fight-of-flight situation that makes stress permanent.
Chronic stress leads to angst, then to fear and then to anger… and back again. Being stuck in this kind of loop brings nothing good into your life, thus almost fulfilling your negative thoughts.
Stop treating MS like it was a person! You know those encouraging quotes “take that MS!” and all of the same type. Of course, they are metaphors and more than once have served as slogans for MS awareness campaigns, but still! We learn through repetition and if you say and think those kind of things for a longer period of time, you’ll end up living in a constant state of “ready-to-fight”.
We indulge in thinking of MS like that because it gives us comfort to have a tangible thing or mental image that we can “kick”, “punch” and “destroy” every time the disease makes us feel bad. And it’s all normal. We need to let steam out, to get rid of negative emotions like angst, fear and anger. But trust me, too long in this situation and you’ll achieve the opposite effect. I’ve just realized this about my own way of perceiving MS, and it’s nor pretty nor helping.
MS is not a person, not even a metaphorical one. MS is only two parts of our bodies reacting one against each other. It’s only a bio-chemical reaction that goes on at a cellular level, was passed our reach. This shouldn’t be scary, it must in turn make us accept it as it is and go on with life through the best of our abilities. Go on an continue to raise awareness at the same time.
Be open about what you’re going through. Tell your story, but don’t focus on MS.
I invite you ladies (and guys, of course!) to let go of this mental image and shift our focus more on balancing ourselves inside and outside, to have a better strategy in coping with the troubles our MS brings us and to feel better while we are sick.
Our thoughts are not facts. Neither are our emotions. What we feel is greatly influenced by what we think and focus our minds on. And given some disabilities, our pains become our thoughts. Accept what you're going through and move on, in your own time. But do move on.
Choose to be the best version of yourself that you can possibly be. Choose to focus on your relationships: you’re a daughter, a mother, a sister, a friend, a grandma, a cousin. Choose your passions, adapt them, change what’s needed, have new ones, get new habits.
Choose life with MS. Life within your body and mind. Take care of them, minimize the impact MS has on you. Choose to make the best of it with whatever healthy things and actions suit your present condition and lifestyle.
Choose the things that make you feel good and that bring a smile on your face. Choose life.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LADIES! HAPPY WOMEN’S DAY!
YOU ARE STRONGER THAN YOU THINK!
SHARE THIS ARTICLE SO THAT ALL WOMEN CAN BENEFIT EVEN SO SLIGHTLY FROM IT.
Yours truly,
Alexandra
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