Understanding emotional impact and fatigue:

Appreciating the emotional impact of MS is perhaps the hardest of all as we can never truly experience another person's life. However, experts using interviews, questionnaires and other techniques try to understand MS and translate the statements that people make about their MS into concepts and language that can give the rest of us some better insight. These experts are usually psychologists or clinical psychologists trained to understand the emotional impact of MS and to help people cope with their problems.

The MS Research unit is trying to improve the understanding and treatment of the problem of fatigue by gaining a better understanding of this problem from the point of view of the MS person. Most people diagnosed with MS will suffer bouts of fatigue sometimes so severe that they need to rest or sleep. We will shortly be starting a project to test an approach to helping those who experience fatigue related to their MS.

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Thought challemge diary. [D][5KB]

Fatigue is one of the greatest mysteries in MS often referred to as a “hidden” symptom because others cannot “see” just how tired their partner or relative with MS might feel. We do not know what causes it or how to best treat it but many individuals work out ways of dealing with it for themselves and this has given us clues as to how we might help others. This is partly down to ”coming to terms” with living with fatigue and dealing with it positively.

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Components of activity. [D][27.8KB]

In collaboration with the research department at Poole Hospital we will be starting some training sessions to help people overcome fatigue early next year. This will take to form of guided discussion and provision of information to help understand and apply ways of combating fatigue. Those who have taken part in the study to date say that it has helped them to cope better and also helped those close to them to understand their fatigue better.

Last month our Research Physiotherapist, Angela Davies Smith, visited Poole to meet the research team that we are working alongside in a fatigue management programme.

“I observed the first of six group sessions held in a local hotel. The participants met each other and the facilitators for a two hour meeting. Here at Bristol we are due to start our part of the study in March 2007 which involves group sessions and monitoring the amount people walk. If you would like more information or feel that you may be interested in participating please use the MS Research and Resources Unit's telephone number (0117 928 6332) and leave a message to include your name and telephone number. I will contact you in due course to give you more information and you can decide whether or not or would like to participate.”

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