• Healthy State
  • Careers
  • Education
  • Research
  • Giving
Ochsner Health Ochsner Health
  • About
  • Find A Doctor (current)
  • Find A Location
  • Specialties & Treatments
MyOchsner Logo
Login | Signup
Submit Search magnifying glass icon
Close Search X icon
  •   Home
  • In To Your Health...
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
  • I need to...
  • Find A Doctor
  • Find A Location
  • Find A Specialty
  • Schedule An Appointment
  • Pay A Bill
  • Explore
  • About Ochsner
  • Careers
  • Patients & Visitors
  • "To Your Health" Blog
  • Health Resources
  • Medical Professionals
  • Education
  • Philanthropy
  • Community Outreach
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Research
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Schedule an Appointment
  • Call: 1-866-624-7637
  • Online: Login to MyOchsner
  • Personalize your content
  • patient Edit Persona Persona Chooser
To Your Health

View Newsletter Editions
  • Food & Fitness
  • Conditions & Treatment
  • Health Trends
  • Prevention & Wellness
  • Women's Health
  • Men's Health
  • Mental Health
  • Parenting
Gettyimages 874962700 Sm

How Multiple Sclerosis Can Impact Your Mental Health

Feb 26, 2021 |
By Shannon Seals, MD
Share Facebook Logo Twitter Logo Pinterest Logo Email Logo

Multiple sclerosis is a tough diagnosis to hear. When your doctor uttered the words, you may have heard just a few of the symptoms that were rattled off. Weakness … fatigue … gait problems … pain. One symptom you may not have paid much attention to is depression.

But it’s an important one because depression affects more than 30 percent of people who have MS, making it one of the most common symptoms of the disease. That doesn’t mean you can’t do something about it.

Causes of Depression

There are a variety of reasons you may feel down or experience clinical depression. This could happen shortly after your diagnosis, during an exacerbation of symptoms, following a major change in abilities, during winter months, when changing medications or for seemingly no reason at all.

MS can also affect areas of the brain that control emotions, leading to behavioral changes. And then there are the potential side effects from medications. So it’s no wonder that depression is a familiar obstacle for people with MS.

Identifying Depression

With so many factors that can influence your mood, it’s important to keep tabs on your mental health. You may experience varying degrees of down moods, ranging from mild blues to severe clinical depression. To gauge if you’re depressed, ask yourself:

  • In the past two weeks, have I felt down, depressed or hopeless?
  • In the past two weeks, have I had little interest in doing things I usually enjoy?

If you answered no to both questions, you may be dealing with the blues or other normal mood fluctuations. But if you answered yes to either question, you may be experiencing depression. Symptoms of depression include:

  • Persistent sadness or irritability
  • Loss of interest in everyday activities
  • Loss of appetite or increased appetite
  • Insomnia or sleeping excessively
  • Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Thoughts of death or suicide

What to Do

Occasional periods of sadness are normal. But you can help keep the blues in check by maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

  • Exercise regularly. Whether its walking, water aerobics, bike riding, Tai chi or yoga, it’s just important to move.
  • Keep up an active social life. Make dates with family and friends, and consider joining a support group to meet others dealing with MS.
  • Meditate to reduce stress. Smartphone apps make it easy if you’re a beginner.
  • Avoid alcohol, which can exacerbate mood swings.

Clinical depression, on the other hand, requires a diagnosis and a more focused treatment plan. Talk to your MS specialist about your symptoms and to develop a plan of action. There is hope. Don’t let depression become your normal.

Learn more about Shannon Seals, MD.

Tags
multiple sclerosis
depression

You may also be interested in:

Desi2
Conditions & Treatment
September 4, 2020

Living with Multiple Sclerosis: 'Desi is an Inspiration'

When New Orleans native Desi H. was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis she almost felt relieved. She finally understood what was wrong. She knew she would need the best care possible to help her fight this relentless disease.
Thinkstockphotos 623827876 Ms Orange Ribbon
Conditions & Treatment
September 4, 2020

Multiple Sclerosis Drug Treatment Options

There are more than 2 million people worldwide living with MS, and drug treatments provide hope.
By Amber Peskin, MN, APRN, AGCNS-BC, MSCN
MS Life Hacks
Conditions & Treatment
June 17, 2022

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Life Hacks

Tips and suggestions for making daily routines more manageable when living with multiple sclerosis.
By Amber Peskin, MN, APRN, AGCNS-BC, MSCN

email envelop icon Comments about the blog? Send us an email!

Ochsner Health

Schedule An Appointment: 1-866-624-7637

Follow us: Facebook Follow Ochsner Health on TikTok Twitter Follow Ochsner Health on Twitter LinkedIn Visit Ochsner Health's LinkedIn page Instagram Follow Ochsner Health on Instagram YouTube Subscribe to Ochsner Health on YouTube Pinterest Follow Ochsner Health on Pinterest TikTok Follow Ochsner Health on TikTok

Healthy living tips, delivered weekly to your inbox.

Sign Up

Patients & Visitors

  • Billing & Financial Services
  • Insurance Information
  • International Patients
  • Request Medical Records
  • Share Your Story
  • Read Patient Stories

Medical Professionals

  • Transfer a Patient
  • Refer a Patient

Health Resources

  • To Your Health Blog
  • Golden Opportunity
  • Healthy State
  • Ochsner Magazine

Job Seekers

  • Career Paths
  • Benefits
  • Open Positions

Employees

  • Webmail
  • OHSLink
  • Workday

Employers

  • Corporate Wellness
  • Medicare Advantage Plans

Community Outreach

  • Classes & Events
  • Programs
  • Community Health Needs Assessment
  • Dr. John Ochsner Discovery Health Sciences Academy

Education

  • Graduate Medical Education
  • Clinical Medical Education
  • Continuing Medical Education
  • Medical Library
  • Publishing Services
  • Medical Illustrations

Research

  • Clinical Trials
  • Applied Health Services Research
  • Clinical Research & Trials
  • Nursing Research
  • Translational Research

Giving

  • Donate
  • Volunteer

About Ochsner

  • Mission & Vision
  • History
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Annual Report
  • Outcomes & Honors
  • News & Media
  • Alumni
  • Ochsner Health Network
  • Contact Us

Shop

  • O Bar
  • Optical Shop
  • Ochsner Fitness Center
  • Brent House Hotel

© Ochsner Health  | Notice of Privacy Practices | Terms of Use | Vendor Information

Ochsner accepts all major insurances.

Ochsner is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, founded on providing the best patient care, research, and education.

We are one of the country’s largest non-university based academic medical centers.

Ochsner is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Community Needs Health Assessment

EpicMobile Tablet | EpicMobile Phone

newsletter icon

Subscribe to Our Newsletters

newsletter icon

Select the newsletters you'd like to receive.

Please select at least one category to continue.

Curious about our newsletters?

View details for each edition
newsletter icon

Let us know where to send your newsletters.

To Your Health- Food and Fitness:
To Your Health- General:
To Your Health- Men’s Health:
To Your Health- Parenting:
To Your Health- Women’s Health:
To Your Health-Mental Health Monthly":
To Your Health- Skin Deep:

Source:
Source Description:
Marketing Goal:
newsletter icon

You're all set!

We’ll send newsletters full of healthy living tips right to your inbox.

Ochsner Health System
magnifying glass icon
ESC to Close

Begin Typing to Search

Select the drop-down to filter Search by Blog Articles or Sitewide