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| Support Services For Multiple Sclerosis |
It is important to remember that even within the same family, people tend to vary in their styles of learning and coping, No two people are exactly alike in their responses to stress, change, or loss. In addition, each person's needs may shift over time as a result of personal growth and development, a change in circumstances, or even education. These differences must be taken into account when the family seeks assistance in dealing with the complexities of MS. Sometimes the family may seek information and support together, via shared reading, family workshops, or family counseling.
At other times, however, individual family members may opt for different courses of action that provide them with the most comfortable means of gathering information and getting emotional support. Thus, one person might decide to attend a National Multiple Sclerosis Society educational program, another might choose to read a few brief pamphlets, and a third might select the option of one-on-one interaction with a health professional or a person in a similar MS family situation. There is no "correct" way to learn about MS or to cope with its impact on family life. Each family, and each individual within the family, needs to consider the available resources in the way that feels most useful to them.
Psychoeducational Resources
THE TERM psychoeducational refers to the important interaction between learning and coping functions. Ideally, families should be gathering accurate, up-to-date information about MS at the same time that they are dealing with their emotional reactions to its presence in the household. Experience has repeatedly demonstrated the effectiveness of knowledge and understanding as coping tools. Obtaining information about MS and the various ways in which it can impact family life enables individuals and families to feel more in control and more prepared to deal with this chronic, unpredictable disease.
Psychoeducational activities include educational programs (sponsored by the National MS Society and other organizations), participation in workshops of different kinds, support groups, counseling, and less formal interactions with an MS expert-either a professional or a peer (a person who has MS or a family member with training to provide appropriate information about personal experiences with MS). Again, the combined function of any of these activities is to provide useful information in a supportive style and setting.
Self-Help Groups
SELF-HELP (SUPPORT) groups exist in almost every section of the country, with over 1,800 groups affiliated with the National MS Society. Group leaders (either professionals or peers) have participated in the Society's training programs to enhance their skills in active listening, group dynamics, problem-solving guidance, crisis intervention, and other important areas. Groups vary enormously in the profile of members (e.g., newly diagnosed, more severely disabled, caregivers) and target a variety of concerns including coping and adaptation, employment issues, parenting, and so forth. Self-help groups may have emotional support as their primary focus, or may combine this with education, advocacy, and social activities. The frequency of meetings ranges from weekly to monthly. Meetings may be carried out by telephone or in the more common, in-person format. To find a Society sponsored group in your area, call 1-800-FIGHT-MS. To find out more, you can check out Support Services For Multiple Sclerosis.