Psychological Symptoms of MS

MS (multiple sclerosis) damages the central nervous system and nerves, disrupting the nerve signals from your brain to other areas of your body. This creates primary physical symptoms like numbness, coordination problems and fatigue. There are additional psychological symptoms that often accompany the disease.

Depression

• According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, severe clinical depression is more common among MS patients than in patients with other disabling conditions.

Sexual Dysfunction

• Multiple sclerosis may damage the nerve pathways governing sexual arousal and the ability to achieve orgasm, increasing your risk of sexual dysfunction.
• Emotional Dysfunction

• The stress of living with a chronic illness combined with the neurological effects of the disease often cause irritability, severe depression, mood swings and the pseudobulbar effect (periods of uncontrollable crying or laughing).

Cognitive Dysfunction

• According to the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, nearly half of all MS patients are affected by cognitive dysfunction like memory problems, abnormal reasoning, slow processing of information and slowed speech.

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