The physical symptoms of multiple sclerosis disease are very visible and greatly affect all aspects of the patient’s life, but are the symptoms of this disease limited to physical symptoms only? Get to know with us through the following article about the symptoms of psychiatric multiple sclerosis and how this disease affects the psychological state, as well as some tips that can help in dealing with and adapting to these symptoms.

How does multiple sclerosis affect the psychological state?

In addition to the physical symptoms of multiple sclerosis or multiple sclerosis, this disease can also have profound emotional and psychological effects. At first, it may be difficult to adapt to the diagnosis of this disease, its progression, and how it affects physical movement.

In many cases, it is expected to experience different feelings and psychological changes, the patient may suddenly experience intense emotional periods, he may suddenly feel sad or angry, and sometimes these feelings may accumulate and affect the person.

These changes usually occur as a result of damage to the nerves in the areas of the brain that affect feelings, in addition to the fact that medications used to control symptoms of the disease can have effects on the feelings and psychological state of a patient with multiple sclerosis.

Psychological symptoms of multiple sclerosis

Here are some of the psychological symptoms of multiple sclerosis that have been observed in a number of people with this disease:

1- depression

Depression is a common psychological symptom in people with multiple sclerosis, and it can result from the disease itself or occur as a result of having to live with the disabilities caused by this disease.

Depression usually appears on a daily basis, and its severity ranges from one person to another. This depression usually results in a feeling of sadness or nervousness, but other symptoms associated with it or resulting from it may appear, such as:

• Changes in appetite.
• difficulty sleeping
• Unusual drowsiness, loss of energy.
• Feelings of extreme guilt or hopelessness.
• Problems with memory or thinking.
• suicidal thoughts

2- sadness

Grief may be associated with the loss of a close person, but it is normal to feel sad about the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Sadness appears during this disease as a result of loss of movement, or as a result of the disease’s impact on the mental state, or as a result of feeling hopeless or helpless due to the disease. Other symptoms associated with sadness may appear, such as:

• denial.
• isolation.
• anger.
• Depression.
• Anxiety and frustration.
• the fear.
• nervousness;

3- Anger

Anger is among the expected psychological symptoms of MS, and the feeling of anger is usually intense and sharp, and some experts interpret this anger as related to the damage that occurs to some areas of the brain responsible for feeling anger. Others believe that it is caused by having to live with this unexpected disease that affects movement, vision, thinking and more.

Anger can appear in the form of physical symptoms and signs that may be as follows:

• headache;
• Heart palpitations or a feeling of tightness in the chest.
• Hypertension.
• numbness;
• Unusual fatigue.

4- Pseudobulbar effect (emotional lability)

The pseudobulbar affect, or emotional lability, is a term used for uncontrollable episodes of laughter or crying. These seizures are usually very difficult to control and can be very stressful for the person who has them or those close to them.

It is necessary to know that this effect is not necessarily related to the mood of the person or something else in the surrounding environment, the person affected by this effect can experience a fit of hysterical laughter, but this does not mean that he feels happy from within or that a funny person happened and led to the occurrence of this fit .

5- Behavioral changes

People with multiple sclerosis can experience behavioral changes, and sometimes inappropriate behaviors such as impulsivity or sexual or social deprivation may occur. Although these behaviors may be alarming, it is important to remember that these changes are only a reflection of the disease, and occur as a result of damage to the part of the brain responsible for controlling impulses.

In addition to the aforementioned changes, a patient with multiple sclerosis may experience other symptoms and behavioral changes such as aggressiveness, impatience, and apathy. It should also be noted that research suggests that these behavioral changes can help predict cognitive and functional impairment or damage in people with MS.

Is multiple sclerosis a mental illness?

There is no indication that this disease is a psychological disorder. Rather, it is a disease that causes damage and changes in the nerves and in the parts of the brain responsible for feelings and cognition, which can result in psychological disorders and symptoms, and not the other way around.

Dealing with the symptoms of multiple sclerosis

After knowing the most prominent psychological symptoms of multiple sclerosis, here are some ways and tips that can be useful in dealing and adapting to these symptoms and other psychological and emotional problems resulting from this disease:

Follow a healthy lifestyle

Researchers have discovered that adopting healthy practices and lifestyles can help MS patients cope with the disease. These practices may include:

• Follow medication instructions.
• Make sure to exercise and follow up on physical activity.
• Follow a healthy diet and sleep routine.
• Experiment with relaxation and rest techniques.
• Reducing smoking and alcohol use.
• Try to rely on positive thinking and practice any habits that may support it.

Psychotherapy

One of the ways to adapt to psychological symptoms of MS is to rely on psychotherapy, as some researchers found that the experience of cognitive-behavioral therapy and group therapy had an impact on psychological symptoms of MS, as the severity of these symptoms decreased, especially depressive symptoms when undergoing treatment for 16 weeks with Regular follow-up visits.

pharmaceutical

Medications used to control symptoms of multiple sclerosis can also help control psychological symptoms of MS, by relieving other symptoms such as pain and fatigue. Controlling the physical symptoms may help reduce the impact of the mental symptoms of MS on the patient.

Also, in some cases, these mental disorders can be treated alone by using antidepressants, as researchers found that using antidepressants along with psychotherapy helped reduce depression in people with MS.

Make dietary changes

A study suggested that some people with this disease prefer to rely on alternative and complementary medicine when dealing with symptoms of the disease. Nearly 70% of the participants in this study reported that they rely on at least one alternative treatment method in dealing with this disease.

One of the most popular alternative treatment methods for this disease is to modify the diet followed, which includes the use of vitamins, a low-fat diet, and the use of anti-inflammatories. But this matter still needs more studies.