Book Review: MS and Your Feelings

MS and Your Feelings: Handling the Ups and Downs of Multiple Sclerosis is an excellent book that can help anyone with multiple sclerosis. Author Allison Shadday, LCSW, has truly established herself as a (if not the) leading expert in the emotional aspects of MS, by effectively drawing upon her personal experiences as a person living with MS, as well as her years counseling MS patients. Regardless of the emotions that you have (or think you have) about your MS, you need this book.

I’ll admit, I was skeptical upon encountering this book. I was confident that I had coped so well with my MS diagnosis, symptoms and relapses, that there was really nothing for me to learn. Plus, I had already read several pamphlets and articles about how I “should” feel or exercises that I “needed” to do to process my feelings, none of which described me or my emotions and actually made me feel isolated. I thought I did not need to read this book.

I was wrong. Really wrong.

Allison Shadday has the rare gift of becoming both a friend and a trusted counselor to her readers with each turn of the pages. It seems that she can anticipate virtually every “but…” or “what about…” that may arise from each observation or recommendation that she makes.

While reflecting on this book, I discovered that my emotions around my MS differed dramatically, depending on the severity of my physical symptoms and fatigue level, external stressors and cognitive frustrations that I was experiencing. I might feel guilty thinking about all of the people that are worse off than me, (feeling silly about the attention that I am giving to my painful injection site reactions), a little later, I can find myself crumbling into a heap of self-pity that I have to deal with MS at all, when so many others do not. While these are not particularly admirable or dignified pictures of oneself, Allison allows you to look at your whole self in a gentle, non-judgmental way, and figure out how to use your emotions productively.

There is something in this book for everyone. Whether you are trying to figure out how to deal with daily fatigue, are still in shock over a new MS diagnosis or worsening symptom, or feeling inadequate in your marriage because of sexual dysfunction symptoms, there are words in this book that are written just for you.

Thank you, Allison. Thank you.