Stress and self-image in multiple sclerosis patients and selected positive aspects of struggling with the disease
Jolanta Neustein1, Malwina Pawik2, Joanna Rymaszewska3
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. It is a chronic disease, with an unpredictable course, involving a heterogeneous clinical picture, and is commonly considered life-changing for both the patient and their family. The diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and the reality of living with the condition come as powerful stress to the affected individual, often rapidly altering their previous self-image and self-esteem. The lowered self-esteem contributes to the patient’s suffering, impedes their daily functioning, and affects their ability to perform their social roles. It is not only the diagnosis as such that weighs the patient down, but the increasing toll the disease takes on all areas of life with time. There is a reciprocal correlation between stress and multiple sclerosis flare-ups, with stress being a well-recognised trigger of multiple sclerosis relapses, and relapses, in turn, being extremely stressful to the patient. Any psychological therapy for multiple sclerosis patients must account for the central role of their way of perceiving reality and interpreting stress factors. The patient’s ability to look for and acknowledge good things, positive aspects and favourable circumstances in life may become their shield against the condition’s impact, relieving the negative effects of chronic stress. In the case of multiple sclerosis patients, the increasingly popular positive psychology calls for focus to be placed on exploring the existing assets and resources of one’s situation rather than the deficits in self-image and one’s reality. Studies examining such variables as the willingness for personal growth, or the patient’s levels of optimism, gratitude, sense of meaning, positive orientation, spirituality and satisfaction facilitate the construction of therapies aimed at identifying the positive aspects of life, helping to shift the person’s perspective on the unpleasant experiences associated with their condition.