BEYOND LESIONS: EXPLORING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL DIMENSIONS OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, neurological condition that affects individuals within the age group of 20-40 years. Patients with MS experience a wide range of symptoms including physical and psychological. The common psychiatric conditions in MS are depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and psychosis. The existing literature focuses on depression and its prevalence quite extensively. While the current management of MS focuses on relieving the visible symptoms, the psychological symptoms arent taken into account during treatment. Multiple studies have shown that ignorance of the psychological symptoms of MS can lead to exacerbation of symptoms of MS. Invisible symptoms of MS like fatigue, insomnia, pain and depression can be effectively managed by psychotherapy. Cognitive Behavior Therapy is useful in managing fatigue, insomnia, pain and depression in the MS population. Other psychotherapies like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Mindfulness-based approaches are useful in the MS population too. The purpose of this paper is to explore the existing literature on the prevalence of psychiatric conditions in MS and various psychotherapies that can be used in the management of MS.