Please note that MSAA will be closed on Monday, October 10, 2016 in observance of Columbus Day. Our offices will reopen on Tuesday, October 11, 2016 at 8:30 am (Eastern).
If you have any questions, please feel free to call and leave a message on our Helpline at (800) 532-7667, ext. 154 or you can email us any questions at MSquestions@mymsaa.org.
Ever think and reflect on your life and think why change is so hard, the fear of the unknown, scared to move forward, afraid of being judged?
You are not alone. Some people know that they need to make changes in their lives. But often, they find themselves taking the path of least resistance and don’t make the changes even if it means remaining unsatisfied. People stay in relationships that aren’t good for them. They keep jobs that bring them no joy. There is nothing wrong with change, especially when it has the potential to bring happiness.
If you do not have the life you desire, you need to make changes to reach your goals. Change can be difficult and stressful but when you embrace change and recognize all of the good which it can bring to your life; change is no longer frightening. Remember, nothing good was ever achieved without taking a chance and making changes. The key to successful change is to embrace change for all that it is worth and move forward with your goals. Know that there will be setbacks along the way but you have the ability to overcome them.
“If you see me out or even in pictures, there’s usually a great big smile on my face. To say that I suffer from loneliness doesn’t seem to make sense. There are so many times though, where I sit and think to myself that I’m alone, that no one really understands me.”
This was just one of the many powerful quotations our contributor, Devin, recently wrote in his article The Loneliness of MS.
Even if well-meaning people say they understand how multiple sclerosis is impacting your life, it’s unlikely they do. And after reading this article, our community shared an outpouring of comments expressing their similar experiences.
Below are some of the thoughts our community shared:
I can’t get out and do things with others.
I feel different from everyone—sometimes even those with MS!
It’s not all loneliness, though: some of you offered solutions for easing those feelings:
While it does not fix this impactful issue, many in our community took solace in the fact that they were not alone in feeling alone. Sharing your feelings and experiences with others online can be helpful. How about you?
Love the taste of fresh vegetables in the summer? Enjoy the feeling of tending to precious plants? Why not garden?
I have to admit, the idea of digging a big hole in the ground, then having to bend or stoop down to tend to it isn’t very appealing. But gardening can have many therapeutic benefits; in fact the therapeutic benefits of garden environments have been documented since ancient times and can help to improve memory, cognition, depression, and anxiety.
The interaction one has with the healing elements of nature helps to nourish the soul, and in this case the body as well.
Many fruits and vegetables can grow in easy, portable containers; making gardening more accessible for everyone. Local grocery stores, home improvement stores, or farmers markets sell the starter kits that come ready to plant! Pick a container and some potting soil and you’re one step closer to fresh fruits and veggies. While the initial cost to purchase the containers, soil, and plants may be high; consider the reward all summer of essentially “free” food.
There are actually at least 35 fruits and vegetables that you can grow in containers; ones that actually thrive in this environment. Some more common and easy options are tomatoes, zucchini and summer squash, peppers, leafy greens (kale, spinach, lettuce), and citrus fruits.
Consider your outdoor space when planning your garden. Plant containers can be placed on tables, blocks, railings, hanging baskets, virtually anywhere! If you plan to use a large container, consider the overall weight when filled. Plant caddies are great for moving larger pots and can be purchased at the local home improvement or garden store.
Home gardening certainly has its trials and tribulations, but we can all learn from each other. Share your gardening experience in the comments below.
References:
http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2012/02/17/147050691/can-gardening-help-troubled-minds-heal
From everyone here at MSAA Headquarters, we wish you a safe and Happy New Year. While we reflect back on 2015 a quote comes to mind:
“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.”
-Hal Borland
As we move into the new year, use the challenges of the past as propellers for wisdom and guidance in 2016; with every challenge a new opportunity is born.
PLEASE NOTE: MSAA’s offices will be closed Thursday, December 31st, through Sunday, January 3rd.
There are so many aspects of living with MS that are frustrating, and sometimes those frustrations occur when interacting with people who do not have MS. One of our amazing contributors, Ashley Ringstaff, shared her feelings about people comparing their experiences with things like fatigue, pain, numbness, and other symptoms with those symptoms in someone who has MS. Many of our community members shared their thoughts and experiences with us after reading Ashley’s article, “You Can’t Compare…”. Here is what they had to say:
“Healthy” People Just Don’t Understand
It’s really not possible to compare
“Healthy” People offer a lot of unsolicited advice
“Healthy” People are just trying to relate to us – it’s harmless
What about you? Do you find that “healthy” people try to compare their symptoms with yours? Share with us in the comments!
My MS Manager is the first-of-its-kind mobile phone app designed specifically to help individuals with MS and their care partners better manage the ever-changing course of the disease.
In December 2014, MSAA re-launched the updated app with new features that will enhance usability.The updated My MS Manager app includes options to:
This convenient tool is available as a free download for both Apple and Android mobile devices.
If you need assistance with the app, please call (800) 772-8277, ext. 178 or email us at apphelp@mymsaa.org.
What is love? Webster’s dictionary defines love as “a feeling of strong or constant affection for a person”. After a day like Valentine’s Day, it is hard not to question the concept of love. Perhaps you are in a long term relationship, maybe you have yet to find love, or have just ended a relationship. By definition, love doesn’t solely rely on a relation with another person, it can define the feeling you have for yourself as well.
Truly loving yourself and having the respect for the person that you have become can be a challenge for some. Uncontrollable events occur in life that may change the way that one perceives themselves. Perhaps there are goals or outcomes that seem unmet, or feelings that are unresolved. Coming to a place of understanding and acceptance of the uncontrollable events and embracing the change they may have created is the first step in loving who you are as a person.
By accepting the changes that have occurred, you allow yourself to move forward without any self-doubts or negative thoughts. But this too is a process. One does not wake up one morning and choose to accept the many years of life’s up and downs. Daily affirmations or positive thoughts about your self can be an effective way to practice self-love and acceptance. You can create your own, or utilize one of the many that can be found in books or online.
The Law of Attraction states, “like attracts like”, meaning, what you put out into the world, is what you attract. If you feel positively about yourself and love yourself, you will attract that same level of positive energy in another. When you don’t like yourself, or don’t feel yourself worthy of love, it can be difficult for someone to find that in you as well.
The change to a place of self-acceptance and love cannot occur overnight. If you feel as though you need additional support or help in removing the self-doubts or negative thoughts, a counselor may be able to assist in getting to the root of those feelings. Everyone has a right to be accepted and loved, personally and by others. If possible, seek help from a support group or counselor. It is never too late to make a change.
“The turning point in the process of growing up is when you discover the core of strength within you that survives all hurt” –Max Lerner
References:
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/love
Happy. It’s such a simple word that carries with it so many huge notions and feelings. It is strived for and achieved every day and thought of as an important goal by many. People wish to be happy. I think there is an innate characteristic that many people hold that strives to make other people happy also – to obtain their approval, to have others’ needs be granted and satisfied too. It is human nature to put other’s needs ahead of your own at times, especially in close and supportive relationships. But I think too often people tend to ignore or forget their own needs and their own paths to achieving happiness. It’s not through any fault of their own; when we care for others it sustains us and creates rewarding and happy feelings that tend to satisfy us. But what about the things you can do for yourself that make you happy?
Ok, so realistically life can be crazy and hectic at times, so who has the extra time to spend to do all of the things that ultimately make you happy? Challenges arise, life gets complicated, and things get in the way so it’s hard to focus at times. But sometimes it’s about the little moments, the small fragments of time where you can step away from the obstacles and do something that makes you happy, no matter the task. Life is too precious and too valuable to not do the things that you enjoy and that will bring you happiness and moments to treasure in the days ahead.
It doesn’t have to be every moment of every day, but when you can, take some time to think about what it is that makes you happy, what you would enjoy doing or something new you’ve wanted to try. We’ve again stepped into a new year where people can start things fresh and reflect on their wants and needs. So why not start these new beginnings by doing something that makes you happy?
Sometimes it is easy to decide when to let something go. When a child outgrows his/her clothes or toys it may be easy to identify that those items would better serve someone else and then look to donate or trash/recycle the items based on their wear.
Other times it may be much harder to identify what needs to stay and what needs to go such that the clutter and chaos of too many “things” begins to build. It might be the clothes you were hanging onto in case you lost/gained some weight, not knowing which financial statements or receipts are important to hold onto, or it might even be the gifts and knickknacks which looked so cute when they were received but have never found a home on your shelves. For many people it is a combination of different types of clutter which may cause of sense of dread or feeling of being overwhelmed with not knowing how to get started with the clean-up.
Whatever is muddling up your life try the following tips to get started in clearing out the clutter:
1. Create a list. Compartmentalize where the problems lie so you can create a plan of action for how to deal with them.
2. Identify why you have held onto the items. Sometimes items hold sentimental value, monetary value, or serve a specific purpose and must be retained (i.e. tax papers).
3. Decide which task to tackle first and set a timeline.
4. Ask for help (sometimes it takes a helping hand to sort things out).
5. Get to work! Start on your first goal area with a keep, organize/file, and trash/recycle pile.
6. Don’t beat yourself up if the clean-up isn’t happening as quickly as you wanted.
Taking pro-active steps to clear out the clutter can help in the long run to reduce stress levels and help you to live a simpler life.