Stress and MS

Having any chronic illness increases stress. MS is no exception. In fact, there are many stressful situations that are common with MS:

Diagnostic uncertainties (before the definite MS diagnosis)
The unpredictability of MS
The invisibility of the symptoms (which can cause people with MS to question the reality of their own experience)
The visibility of the symptoms, particularly newly emerging ones (to which others may react before the person has had time to adjust)
The need to adjust and readjust to changing abilities
Financial stress and concerns about employment
The presence—or possibility—of cognitive impairment
Loss of control (e.g., bladder dysfunction)
The need to make decisions about disease-modifying treatment and adjusting to the treatment if it is chosen.

Does stress increase the risk of attacks or affect the long-term course of MS?

Many people with MS feel that there is a definite connection between stress and MS. Others believe that controlling stress can have a beneficial impact on MS. And still others believe that neither stress nor controlling stress has any effect on MS. Scientifically speaking, the jury is still out. A relationship between stress and the onset of MS or MS relapses is considered possible, but hasn't been powerfully demonstrated in studies. Can a stressful event cause nerve damage or lesions? Can nerve damage or lesions increase someone’s experience of stress? More research is needed to answer these questions.

Can stress make MS symptoms feel worse?

Many people with MS say yes. They experience more symptoms during stressful times. When the stress abates, their symptoms seem less troubling or less severe. This could be understood by looking at the stress and coping process. During times of stress, more energy is required to think, problem-solve, and handle daily life. For example, one’s ability to be patient with family members often wanes after a tough day. At stressful or demanding times, symptoms may be experienced more strongly, because the energy to deal with them and get on with life has been drained. We all have finite reservoirs of coping ability. At demanding times, our supply may temporarily run dry. Any difficulty, including MS symptoms, is more challenging at these moments. Stress can’t be—and shouldn’t be—totally avoided. But we can learn to reduce its intensity and to use it to work for, not against, us.