b'Why Your Feelings Matter For centuries, medical science made the mistake of treating issues of the mindas something separate from issues of the body. There were physical illnesses andmental illnesses. The physical illnesses were treated as an unavoidable consequenceof living; the mental illnesses were typically treated as a character failing or a lack ofwillpower. Today, we realize that the brain is an organ of the body, and as such, mental illnessfrequently has a physical basis. Just as a person whose pancreas doesnt produceinsulin cannot regulate their own blood sugar levels, a person whose brain does notproduce the proper neurochemicals cannot control their mood. It isnt a weaknessof character and no amount of willpower will change it. Its simply biological.Nowhere is this more evident than in the study of MS. Depression, anxiety, andother mood changes are recognized symptoms of MSa physical illness causingmental symptoms. Consider this: if the mental symptoms and the physical symptomsof MS are both caused by the same disease, shouldnt they be viewed in the samelight? Is one a weakness and the other an unavoidable consequence of the condition?Is one a cause for shame and the other a reason for support? Or are both simplysymptoms that need to be treated? Mental illness is not weakness, whether it results from MS or not. Its not a characterfailing or a cause for shame. These are the stigmas that remain from the time whensociety held an outdated and erroneous view of mental health. We must breakthrough the stigma to ensure that everyone has the care they need to be at their best,physically and mentally.Lets look at the various mental health symptoms that MS can cause. Depression Depression is one of the most widely reported symptoms of MS. Around 50 percentof people with MS experience episodes of depression, compared with around 20percent of the general population. While some might suppose that depression is justan emotional response to being diagnosed with a chronic disease, in fact, the rate ofdepression in MS is signicantly higher than that of other chronic diseases.Of course, people with MS can become depressed because of their circumstances,just as anyone can. But because the prevalence of depression in people with MStends to be higher than in other chronic conditions, it appears depression may be inpart linked to the neuroinammatory or neurodegerative process. In such a case,there may be no clearly identiable cause or event that triggers the onset of symptoms,which may appear without warning. Some people with MS even nd, in retrospect,that unexplained depression was their rst symptom before diagnosis. Depression is real and treatable, it aects quality of life, and it is linked to worseneddisease outcomes. It can also contribute to problems such as fatigue, cognitive challenges,sexual problems, and motor issues. 2'