Overview
“Depression” is a term commonly applied to a wide variety of emotional states in MS. These may range from feeling down for a few hours on a given day to severe clinical depression that may last for several months. People with MS and all those closely associated with them should be aware that depression in its various forms is common during the course of multiple sclerosis. In fact, studies have suggested that clinical depression, the severest form of depression, is more frequent among people with MS than it is in the general population or in persons with other chronic, disabling conditions. Depression does not indicate weak character and it should not be considered something shameful that needs to be hidden. Depression is not something a person can control or prevent by willpower or determination. In its most severe forms, depression appears to be a chemical imbalance that may occur at any time, even when life is going well.
Treating Depression
People who are depressed often want to withdraw from activities, and the resulting lack of stimulation further reduces their quality of life, creating a downward spiral. While supportive family and friends may help a person shake off mild depression, psychotherapy and/or antidepressant medication are generally needed to treat the condition adequately and prevent an even deeper depression that is harder to treat. Although support groups may offer some help with milder types of depression, they are not effective in treating severe clinical depression. Psychotherapy and/or antidepressant medications are more effective in treating severe clinical depression.
Several antidepressant drugs are available, but they can be used only under the supervision of a physician. There is quite a bit of variability in response to antidepressant drugs, and it may be necessary to try different medications and different doses before an effective medication or combination of medications is found.
Please talk to you provider about options, which can include, talk therapy, prescription medications, support groups or a combination of all three.
Anxiety
Like depression, anxiety is quite common in MS, affecting more than 35 percent of those with the disease—again, a number higher than the general population. People used to believe that depression and anxiety were two sides of the same coin, so to speak, but now these mood changes are increasingly seen as separate disorders. People with generalized anxiety feel tense and worried much of the time and often to a greater degree than external events would seem to demand. Other types of anxiety include panic attacks and obsessive-compulsive disorder, but generalized anxiety is much more common among people with MS. That’s not surprising, given the unpredictability of MS. People with the disease may feel great one day but have considerable pain, fatigue, or other symptoms.
Please talk to you provider about options, which can include, talk therapy, prescription medications, support groups or a combination of all three.