Multiple sclerosis may be a difficult secret to keep, as the
years go by and symptoms come and go and come again. Should it be a secret, or
is it something to share with others? And exactly whom ought the MSer to clue
in?
Who needs to know, if
you have MS?
Who has the right to know, and who doesn’t really need to?
Who will be helpful, and who might use the information in a less-than-helpful
way?
This is an
emotionally laden issue.
For some, keeping MS to themselves may only add to their
already full stress loads. For others, the disclosure may add to their anxiety.
Certainly once you
tell, you can’t take it back. It’s out there.
Sharing the MS secret is sort of like the often told analogy
of squeezing toothpaste out of the tube. Once it’s come out of the tube, you
really cannot put it back in.
Sometimes it may be worth it, particularly if you need
special accommodations or simply feel you could benefit from some extra
encouragement or assistance from others. But it pays to choose wisely.
I have found some exceptionally supportive people through sharing my own story. But there are other people (even people with whom I have been fairly close over the years) with whom I may never share much of it.
I have found some exceptionally supportive people through sharing my own story. But there are other people (even people with whom I have been fairly close over the years) with whom I may never share much of it.
And, quite frankly, there are others who have actually used
the fact that I live with MS against me in all sorts of wild ways.
Most MSers aren’t looking for sympathy. Still, it can be
helpful to have a few carefully picked key people clued in about our
conditions.
What about employers? Prospective business partners? Romantic interests?
At what point might it be appropriate to tell these people
about MS, and when might it not?
The National MS Society offers a free
online worksheet to help the MSer evaluate the pros and cons of telling
various people about his or her multiple sclerosis.
It’s worth a look.
It’s worth a look.
Image/s:
Created by this user
With Telling a Secret - Tiago Lima
Creative Commons Licensing
Feel free to follow on Google Plus and Twitter. You are also
invited to join this writer's fan
page Facebook.
No comments:
Post a Comment