How does MS affect your marriage?

Some symptoms are obvious, such as vision changes and muscle weakness, but others, often described as the invisible symptoms of MS, are more subtle. For example, cognitive symptoms, depression, and stress can all lead to miscommunication, misunderstandings, and tension in your relationship.

How does multiple sclerosis affect relationships?

Multiple sclerosis can take a toll on all your relationships. If your symptoms flare, you might not be able to go to family dinners or social events after work. You may feel that you’ve let people down. MS also can affect your self-esteem.

Does MS cause divorce?

So let’s talk about the ugly statistic that over 70 percent of MS marriages end in divorce. In the research I have done for this posting, I found that the divorce rate for couples with MS is actually about the same as (if not a little lower than) the general population.

Should I date someone with MS?

“MS is a complex disease,” she says. “It can be hard to talk about or explain [to a partner] why some days you feel fine and other days you don’t. It could make dating harder when you’re not sure how you will feel.” MS can also impact sexual feelings and function — a big part of most romantic relationships.

How do you cope with a partner who has MS?

10 ways to help your partner if they have MS

Patience is a virtue.
It’s good to talk (but only when you’re ready)
Stay informed.
Less is more.
Be willing to adapt.
Let’s talk about sex (baby)
Be their partner first.
Look after yourself.

Can MS cause anger issues?

MS can cause significant anxiety, distress, anger, and frustration from the moment of its very first symptoms. The uncertainty and unpredictability associated with MS is one of its most distressing aspects. In fact, anxiety is at least as common in MS as depression.

How close is a cure for MS?

Probably between 5-15 years. If cure means ‘no more disease activity and no further treatment’, this is likely to be achievable with the currently available high efficacy medications.

Can You Leave your husband with multiple sclerosis?

You can leave. Consider living with your sister and you can still care for your husband. This is a safer way to do things without feeling the guilt of leaving him. You need to be safe. Feel free to talk with us anytime. I was in a relationship for almost 18 years and married for 10 of those, and my husband suffered from MS the entire time.

Can you still work if you have multiple sclerosis?

Work, MS and you If you’ve been diagnosed with MS, you’re the same person the day after diagnosis as you were the day before. You still have your skills and experience. But the symptoms caused by MS can vary and fluctuate over time and this can be a challenge at work.

Is it difficult to be in a relationship with multiple sclerosis?

There are many challenges that marriages and devoted partnerships can face over the years. And while you or your partner being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) may not be the most difficult, the disease will likely have some impact on your relationship.

How does MS affect a marriage and family?

MS can create extra challenges when it comes to parenting, which can, of course, affect a marriage. If you’re the parent with MS, you may not have the energy to fulfill all your parenting tasks as you’d like to, which may put excessive pressure on your partner.

What are the responsibilities of a partner with MS?

MS-related symptoms and disability can push the healthier partner into a caregiver role. When you have MS, some responsibilities that may fall on your partner’s shoulders include: Giving you injections and medications. Helping you when you are low on energy. Taking on the lion’s share of the household chores.

How does multiple sclerosis affect family members?

Families. When you were diagnosed with MS, there was an immediate impact on everyone who loves you. Family members may experience similar emotions to yours as they adapt to MS in their lives: fear, guilt, anger, denial, grief, anxiety. Read more about families and relationships.

Can MS affect your relationship?

Adapting relationships Relationships can be profoundly affected by MS, particularly the relationship with a long-term partner, husband or wife. Coping with the physical symptoms, managing pain and fatigue can put pressure on the individual and those closest to them.

Can emotional abuse cause MS?

Adverse events occurring as early as childhood have been linked to MS clinical disease features. For example, emotional and physical abuse and neglect in childhood have been associated with increased rates of relapses in a cohort of adult MS patients (16).

What is the average life expectancy of someone with MS?

Average life span of 25 to 35 years after the diagnosis of MS is made are often stated. Some of the most common causes of death in MS patients are secondary complications resulting from immobility, chronic urinary tract infections, compromised swallowing and breathing.

Can MS be passed from parent to child?

MS is not directly inherited from parent to child. There’s no single gene that causes it. Over 200 genes might affect your chances of getting MS. But genes are only part of the story.

How do you make someone with MS feel better?

Ask how your friend is doing, then be ready to listen. Listening without judgment or interruption is one of the most helpful things you can do for any friend, including one with MS. Ask how you can help — but be honest about what you can provide, and say no if you really can’t give what your friend needs.

Can you get MS from kissing?

There is no evidence that multiple sclerosis undergoes transmission person-to-person. Consequently, the disease is not considered to be contagious so other people cannot catch it from any person with MS they may come in contact with.

Can MS go away?

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic condition, which means it’s long-lasting, and there’s no cure for it. That said, it’s important to know that for the vast majority of people who have MS, the disease isn’t fatal. Most of the 2.3 million people worldwide with MS have a standard life expectancy.

How does one partner with MS affect the family?

Financial concerns are also common when one partner has MS. The disease can interfere with your ability to work. This may necessitate taking a job with fewer demands, such as less travel or less demanding responsibilities, which may reduce the family’s overall income.

What to do if your spouse has multiple sclerosis?

“They need information and support just as much,” she says. Support is available through the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, both for care partners (online or by phone, 800-344-4867) and for people with MS who would like to talk to others who have it (866-673-7436).

How long has Meredith Vieira’s husband had MS?

Richard Cohen has had the diagnosis for 46 years. Meredith Vieira’s husband, fellow journalist Richard Cohen, has been living with MS for 46 years. While Vieira and Cohen have faced the illness with poise and grace, the former co-host of Today admits it hasn’t always been easy.

Can a woman with multiple sclerosis be a good parent?

Women and men with MS can be successful parents of happy, healthy children. Learn the up-to-date findings about the impact of MS on conception, pregnancy, delivery and breastfeeding, and the impact of childbearing on MS. Kids tend to worry when they know something’s up — even if Mom or Dad has no visible symptoms.

How to contact the National Multiple Sclerosis Society?

To learn more, contact an MS Navigator at 1-800-344-4867, by e-mail or on our Ask an MS Navigator discussion board. Together in MS: Supporting Family and Friends of People with MS – webinar/telelearning brought to you by the National MS Society and Can Do MS.