Talking to the People You Love

Telling others in your life that you have MS is not an easy subject to broach, but telling those closest to you the truth about having MS gives you an opportunity to strengthen your relationships with them. It also gives you the chance to help them understand what MS is, what to expect, and how they can potentially help. Some pointers:

• It’s important to wait until you’re comfortable letting people know that you have MS. Don’t feel pressured into disclosing it until you’re ready.

• Communicating your condition clearly to someone else takes confidence, which often comes with time and practice. One idea that might work for you is to jot down notes about what you’d like to share ahead of time. You might also consider role-playing with someone you trust

• Your loved ones may have many mixed feelings about your diagnosis. An honest and open dialogue may help them—and you—gain perspective on what’s ahead and work toward developing a game plan together

• As with any complicated topic, don’t expect people to understand everything about MS at once. Have faith that others are probably doing their best to understand and learn how to best manage

• Consider having a family meeting to share your feelings about having MS. Invite everyone to share their questions and concerns

• Don’t assume people know what you need or that they’ll understand the “right” thing to do. Give clear guidance, if possible, about what you want and don’t want from others. Hopefully, this will help set the stage for an open dialogue, particularly if their, or your, needs change