{"id":374,"date":"2014-09-22T15:49:43","date_gmt":"2014-09-22T22:49:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/debbiepetrina.authorsxpress.com\/?p=374"},"modified":"2022-02-28T15:21:24","modified_gmt":"2022-02-28T15:21:24","slug":"what-msers-really-need-from-others","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debbiepetrina.com\/?p=374","title":{"rendered":"What MSers Really Need from Others"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cThe chronically ill, too.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Even though this post was written for a MS Blog, the following list can apply to supporters of patients who are chronically ill. As an MS patient myself who was trained as a MS peer counselor thirty years ago, I found myself talking with and listening to patients who were chronically ill with something else.<\/p>\n

This list is for family, friends, co-workers, health care professionals\u2026i.e. the people we associate with in our lives. While it seems to be simple and just common sense, it is amazing how many folks say the wrong things or don\u2019t even know what to say.*<\/p>\n

1. Empathy vs. Sympathy<\/span>
\nMost MSers don\u2019t want you to feel sorry for them. They want you to try and understand MS and their symptoms\/problems. Visualize putting yourselves in their shoes.<\/p>\n

2. Listening vs. Talking<\/span>
\nSometimes MSers like to talk about MS and sometimes they do not. If they wish not to talk or get emotional, do not take it personally or compare them to others. More often than not, they need others to listen to them.<\/p>\n

3. Inspiration vs. Reality<\/span>
\nInspiration is vital and wanted. However, there are times when MSers are so sick or fatigued, they don\u2019t want cheerleading, humor, or advice. Give hugs and be sensitive to their feelings.<\/p>\n

4. Knowledge and Support<\/span>
\nThe more accurate knowledge that is obtained from reliable sources, the less fear there will be. The more support that a MSer has from whom they interact with, the easier it will be for them to manage their MS, lives, and adjustments. What kind of support? Just ask the patient, or offer to do something to make their life easier (like make a meal, watch kids, do laundry\u2026).<\/p>\n

*Here is a link to view my background\/credentials https:\/\/debbiepetrina.com\/about-debbie_269.html<\/a><\/p>\n

www.Debbiems.com<\/a>
\nAuthor\/MS Counselor\/Living with MS<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cThe chronically ill, too.\u201d Even though this post was written for a MS Blog, the following list can apply to supporters of patients who are chronically ill. As an MS patient myself who was trained as a MS peer counselor … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,35,1],"tags":[93,97,113,169,222,235,243,253,260,264,278,292,307],"class_list":["post-374","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-coping","category-relationships","category-uncategorized","tag-chronic-illinesses","tag-chronic-illness-support","tag-depression","tag-managing-ms","tag-ms-communication","tag-ms-education","tag-ms-fatigue","tag-ms-information","tag-ms-knowledge","tag-ms-patient","tag-ms-relationships","tag-ms-support","tag-multiple-sclerosis"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/debbiepetrina.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/374","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/debbiepetrina.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/debbiepetrina.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debbiepetrina.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debbiepetrina.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=374"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/debbiepetrina.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/374\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":753,"href":"https:\/\/debbiepetrina.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/374\/revisions\/753"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/debbiepetrina.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=374"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debbiepetrina.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=374"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/debbiepetrina.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=374"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}