b'Symptom ManaDementTakinD Care ofYour EmotionalWellnessBy Tiany Malone, MSW, MSCSLiving with MS can denitely take a toll on that they should be properly addressed.Overyour mood and emotional health. Often, time, this can lead to declining emotional health.people living with MS experience the loss of There are some things you can do on yourthe person they were prior to the diagnosis, own to build a more positive environment fortheir social/familial/professional roles, and yourself, which can lead to a more positivephysical ability. Frustration can become a mood and improved emotional health:recurring feeling when faced with the daily SleepMaintaining healthy sleep hygienereminder of physical and cognitive challenges can signicantly improve the quality of youror the changes that have occurred over time. sleep, which can positively aect your mood.Questions about the future cause worry about Consider keeping electronics turned off,what will happen next. including cell phones, tablets, and television,Grief, anxiety, depression, anger, and fear to calm the mind and avoid distractions fromare common emotional reactions to the restful sleep. Additionally, maintain adiagnosis of, and life with, MS. These feelings comfortable temperature when sleeping byare natural, and they should not be dismissed using fans and 100 percent cotton bedding.or ignored. Depression, for example, aects Changing pillows frequently can also oer a20 percent of the general population; that more comfortable sleep environment. If sleepnumber more than doubles for people living continues to be restless for you, talk with yourwithMS.Theprevalenceofdepressionfor healthcare provider; a sleep study may bepeople living with MS is also typically higher advised to further assess for sleep disorder.than in other chronic conditions. Therefore, it GratitudeOften, people nd it very easy tois widely believed that depression is not just due focus on all the things that did not go wellto coping with the changing disease process, throughout the day or how MS has negativelybut may also be linked to a neuro-inammatory aected life. It can become a habit to placeor neuro-degenerative process. Depression emphasis on the negativity. Practicing mind-can also exacerbate MS symptoms, causing fulness, or paying attention to the momentsincreased diculties with fatigue, pain, sleep, of your day, can allow you to notice all theconcentration, and memory. This can all good things as well. Small things, such as acontribute to increased feelings of negativity, stranger opening a door for you, can easily befrustration, and anger. It is when these feelings missed if you are not paying attention to thatbecome constant over long periods of time act of kindness.Recognizing and appreciatingmsfocusmagazine.org 12'