You are undoubtedly aware that MS is a debilitating disease. As it progresses, it brings with it various forms of MS disability, consequently imposing limitations on the lives of those suffering from it.
MS disability takes various forms. They may include physical handicaps or mental or psychological handicaps. These make it difficult for multiple sclerosis patients to live productive lives. The frustration they experience as a result can lead to depression and compound the limitations they already experience. For instance, patients experiencing muscle weakness in their lower extremities may feel so frustrated by their symptoms that they stop making the effort to walk from place to place. As a result, their already weak leg muscles can only atrophy further, resulting in even greater weakness and disability.
Why It is Important to Devote Attention to MS Disability
The reason why MS disability is given prominence in discussions of the disease is that it often impacts the ability of patients to live full, productive lives. A patient whose disability makes it impossible for him to sit at a desk for long stretches of time and concentrate can hardly be expected to last long at a paper-pushing job. Neither can a landscaper who finds it progressively difficult to walk because of weakness in his leg muscles. Along the same lines, a stay-at-home mother who is so fatigued that she can barely get out of bed in the morning will find it next to impossible to keep up with the antics of her energetic 5-year-old son. All these examples make it evident that MS disability has a great negative impact on the lives of those suffering from it as well as on the lives of those who depend on them, love them, live with them or work with them.
The disability that results from MS can severely limit the options available to individuals. For one, it can result in the shrinking of their incomes, inevitably leading to financial problems. It goes without saying that a reduced income has huge repercussions for one’s living conditions, nutrition and ability to access proper medical care. Another effect of the disability associated with MS is that it effectively excludes the patient from the community. Individuals who cannot participate in social life by virtue of their disabilities often feel compelled to sit on the sidelines. If they were heavily involved in communal life before being stricken with MS, this can be devastating for them. They are likely to develop depression and a diminished sense of self worth. For all of these reasons, it is important for MS patients and those responsible for their care to seek effective ways of managing their disabilities and coping with their consequences.
