MS and Caregiving: #100outof100

Dr. Phil shocked many viewers this past spring when he stated that “… 100 times out of 100 this won’t work” if partners care for partners with disability.

Whoa. It’s painful to even read that sentence, isn’t it?

Many of you watched the episode or heard about the comment and had a strong reaction. To open up the conversation about MS and caregiving on the MultipleSclerosis.net Facebook page, we posted an article by Dan and Jennifer Digmann that was a response to Dr. Phil’s inflammatory comment. More than 100 of you Continue reading

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Care of the Care Partner

For most people with a chronic disease like multiple sclerosis, the biggest piece of your support network is your care partner.  Care partners – whether they be a best friend, a spouse, a sibling, a parent, or other family member – are an essential part of any support network.  But like the people they care for, care partners need help and resources to care for themselves and prevent care partner burn out.

The Family Caregiver Alliance reports that 1 in 10 care partners has experienced a decline in physical health as a result of caregiving.  Due to the stress and daily struggles of life with a chronic disease, many care partners choose to spend their time and energy on their partner’s health and wellbeing, rather than their own.  Some small, but very important things that all care partners should do for themselves to prevent health decline are:

  • Make appointments with doctors and dentists for regular checkups and screenings.
  • Have routine medical testing done such as checking cholesterol levels, blood pressure, mammograms, or prostate exams.
  • Make sure to get enough sleep. It is much easier to focus on tasks of the day if you are well rested.
  • Maintain social interaction with friends and family who are important to you.
  • Make sure there is still some “me” time. If you have a hobby that you enjoy, be sure to keep up with it, even if only in small increments.

Most importantly, care partners should always feel comfortable asking for help.  Sometimes, one care partner is not enough and they need a break.  Sometimes, an individual with MS needs specific kinds of help that requires a specialist.  Resources are available for individuals with MS and their care partners for these situations, and many more.

To learn more about care partner resources, challenges, and care partner stories feel free to read over our cover story from the Summer/Fall 2014 edition of The Motivator, Care Partners: The People Who Make a Difference in Our Lives.

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Managing Multiple Sclerosis: How an MS Diagnosis Affects More Than Just the Patient

 

By Gayle Lewis, Ph.D.

When thinking about the idea of “managing MS,” more than likely you immediately think about the patient and how he/she is dealing with, incorporating, accommodating to, accepting, grieving…and having many other reactive and thoughtful coping styles for getting used to being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Certainly in my work, this is something that I focus on regularly with my patients: how to help them manage their MS. Whatever that might mean for the individual.

But managing MS is NOT JUST ABOUT THE PATIENT. It is simultaneously about the microsystem surrounding the patient, including partners and other family members. We can consider that “managing MS” needs to be looked at more globally, relationally and more systemically than just individually. That the trauma of MS diagnosis has many fingers of whom is affected and therefore who has to manage it.

My work more often than not involves discussions about my patients’ respective relationships with the people in their lives, particularly if a partner is involved and always when there is no partner, but the wish for one remains. Many relational areas get covered in sessions, but thematically, I hear over and over again the feeling of or actual act of being rejected; the reasons given are either directly stated to be because of the patient’s MS or indirectly communicated that MS has interfered so substantially in the relationship, the situation is no longer viable. Then there are the rejections that occur in which the partner/family member/friend remains as a figure in the patient’s life, but creates enormous distance between themselves and the patient, with the space between them being filled with uncertainty, anger, resentment, loss, sadness, disconnection and the like…feelings felt by both patient and their “people.”

And while I absolutely empathize with patients who feel rejected/are rejected by their “people,” I also have great empathy for the “people,” who are the ones patients rely on, who become the caretakers, who are tasked with increased responsibilities they may not be prepared for nor wished for when they got involved with said-patient. They didn’t sign up for this! Managing MS is NOT just about the patient, as I said. I work with people whose partners have had very strong reactions after a diagnosis of MS was given: some may reduce or stop sexual intimacy; or become increasingly snappish and intolerant when the patient struggles to do tasks at home that were previously rote and done with little effort, like removing dishes from the dinner table and bringing them to the sink; increasingly spending more time out of the house and away from the relationship, finding the patient’s symptoms too difficult to tolerate and too frustrating to face regularly; in some cases a partner may even leave the patient after diagnosis never to be seen from or heard from again. In one case a partner telling the patient that he needed to break up because he could not deal with her MS, even though she was asymptomatic and, in a meeting with the doctor (requested by this boyfriend), the doctor presented a very optimistic picture of the patient’s likely path with her MS. That boyfriend apparently did not want to pay attention. He was mostly concerned that the patient would end up in a wheelchair and he would have to take care of her, which he did not want to do anytime soon.

In all of these examples people are reacting to a situation (MS diagnosis and its sequelae) in ways that speak to how awful and traumatized they are feeling about what is going on. These are not the only examples I have; there are ones in which partners step up, learn about MS, specifically their partner’s MS, where they are supportive in loving, generous ways, when they actively participate in their partner’s treatments and step into not out of what is happening. But even those “angels” have to face and deal with the trauma of being with someone with a progressive, chronic illness. No one is immune from the impact of that. I frequently see or hear about relational pathology as couples/family members adapt to an MS diagnosis. But, I also see that many of the partners or family members willingly participate in treatment or get their own treatment or even join a group with others who have a person in their life with MS and are having difficulty managing what the diagnosis means to them.  All of these latter tactics can be very constructive…and all are a process, as is managing MS…it IS a process that is evolving and ever-changing and one that needs to be open to the idea that it’s NOT JUST ABOUT THE PATIENT.

*Gayle Lewis, Ph.D. is a psychologist and psychoanalyst in private practice in New York City, Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Neurology, at NYU’s Langone Medical Center, and Staff Psychologist at Juilliard’s Counseling Center. Additionally she is a graduate of both the American Institute for Psychoanalysis and the EDCAS program at the William Alanson White Institute. She specializes in the treatment of trauma, eating disorders and individuals with Multiple Sclerosis. See www.drgaylelewis.com

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Thank You For All That You Do

This month we focused on offering support and resources to the caregivers providing love and support to many with MS. We shared tips, stories, and resources for the caregivers who have dedicated their lives to helping others. On behalf of the entire MSAA staff, we say Thank You!

“It is one of the most beautiful compensations of life, that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.”
–Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Online Support for Caregivers of People with Multiple Sclerosis

As a caregiver or care partner it can frequently be a challenge to actually make it out and about town. While an in-person support group or activity may be ideal, sometimes it may not be a reality. Online groups provide an alternate way to connect to support without having to plan details and coordinate care to be able to attend.

Websites such as MSWorld: http://www.msworld.org/ and PatientsLikeMe: http://www.patientslikeme.com/ provide avenues for individuals diagnosed with MS and their caregivers to discuss their concerns. These groups allow you to connect through online message boards or forums.

So, when you can’t get out of the house but need to talk with another person who has “been there” an online resource may be the way to go. Please note that every online forum will have its own set of rules and privacy policies. Before you register for any website be sure you are comfortable with the terms agreement.

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Caring for You When You’re Caring for Someone with Multiple Sclerosis

Being a caregiver doesn’t always mean having time to take care of yourself, but at times it is exactly what’s needed in order to maintain your own wellbeing. Yes, it may not always fit into your schedule while taking care of others, but it requires some consideration so that you may carry out these other responsibilities. As a caregiver, self-care means having to make time during the busy day to do something for yourself. For some this is difficult to achieve or even fathom, because the person being cared for is your top priority. But, if possible, you may be able to make minor changes or tweaks to a routine that creates the time and space for this much needed self-care. Though caregiving can be unpredictable due to the changing nature of illness, it is important to take advantage of times where you can be taken care of too. Here are some suggestions to find these moments of self-care:

  • Take rests when they rest.
  • Eat regularly! Eating meals together can have an added quality time component too.
  • Venture outside of the home when you can. Running errands, going shopping, or even just taking a brief walk can provide some alone time needed to rejuvenate yourself (To search for respite resources in your area, see the ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center, http://archrespite.org/home).
  • Talk! Caregiving can be an overwhelming and emotional journey, so if you have the opportunity to talk or vent about your experiences, do so. If you would like an objective third party to listen who’s not a family member or friend, it may be helpful talking to a counselor/therapist about your experiences in order to safely and effectively express your feelings in this role.

Caregiving is no easy task. It takes a lot of hard work, determination and commitment. So while you’re busy taking care of others, be sure to remember you, and that sometimes you need care too!

 

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Resources for the Caregiver

The role of the caregiver is often described as “the rock” or “the foundation” of the family; the one responsible for the wellbeing of all. But who takes care of you? Just as much as your loved one needs your support, you need support also. It is ok to take a break, and turn to help when you need it. In order to be the best caregiver you can be you need to be well rested both mentally and physically. Being the primary caregiver for an individual with MS can be challenging. The unpredictability of MS itself creates an additional challenge in trying to manage your day to day life.

There are some helpful resources for those in the caregiver role to aid in the management of the daily challenges of caregiving. The Family Caregiver Alliance provides caregiving information and advice as well as a guide to state resources available to caregivers. The Caregiver Action Network offers information and resources to individuals in all types of caregiving situations. The site helps to identify the various needs that caregivers may express through their varying roles.

Another great resource directed specifically towards spousal caregivers is the Wellspouse Association. They coordinate a national network of Support Groups and facilitate a Mentor program. And when the time comes for a break, the National Respite Network provides a National Respite Locator to help caregivers locate respite services in their community. The site also helps to educate caregivers on how to find and choose appropriate respite care.

With so many resources available to assist the individual in the caregiving role, now it is your time to take a break and be the best caregiver that you can be.

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