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Social Relationships
Getting the most out of connecting with other people
Important relationships can take time and energy but they can also be greatly rewarding. While relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) can make maintaining or building new relationships difficult, it can also bring people closer together and make life fuller.
Remember that RRMS affects not only you, but everyone close to you as well. And yes, you will need to make space for RRMS in your life and relationships—but don’t let it take over.
Whom should you tell about your RRMS?
Unfortunately, there’s not a simple playbook to help you determine when and if you should tell someone about your RRMS. You will have to judge how much information to disclose to whom and when. But the following tips can help you make these important decisions:1
- Family members
Telling immediate family members about your RRMS is the best way to get the support you need
- Friends
Don’t feel obligated to tell everyone at once. Start with your closest circle of friends, and over time, decide whom else you would like to share the information with
- Employers and colleagues
Disclosure in the workplace can have an instant impact on your career. Carefully evaluate the pluses and minuses of telling people at work
- People you’re dating
There’s no law that states you have to tell a person on the first date, but bear in mind that most strong relationships are built on solid foundations of open communication. As your desire to learn more about the other person grows, consider revealing more information about yourself
Romantic relationships
In a couple, RRMS doesn’t just affect the person who has RRMS. The other person is deeply impacted as well. Keeping a relationship going when RRMS is involved requires flexibility, dedication, and adaptation.
When you tell someone about your RRMS, remember:1
- Some people may be shocked and greatly distressed by your disclosure, be prepared to give them time to process the news
- It may seem odd, but when you’re disclosing your diagnosis, and you yourself are in need of comfort, you may also have to play the role of the comforter
- Some people aren’t quite sure how to react, so don’t mistake silence for a lack of caring
- People will generally look to you for a cue on when you’re ready to discuss your RRMS. Be sure to communicate how much and when you’re willing to talk
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References:1. Disclosing your MS to others. National Multiple Sclerosis Society Web site. http://www.nationalmssociety.org/living-with-multiple-sclerosis/relationships/disclosure/index.aspx. Accessed September 6, 2010.
- COPAXONE® (glatiramer acetate injection) is indicated for the reduction of the frequency of relapses in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, including patients who have experienced a first clinical episode and have MRI features consistent with multiple sclerosis.
Important Safety Information About COPAXONE®
- The most common side effects of COPAXONE® are redness, pain, swelling, itching, or a lump at the site of injection, flushing, rash, shortness of breath, and chest pain. These reactions are usually mild and seldom require professional treatment. Be sure to tell your doctor about any side effects.
Some patients report a short-term reaction right after injecting COPAXONE®. This reaction can involve flushing (feeling of warmth and/or redness), chest tightness or pain with heart palpitations, anxiety, and trouble breathing. These symptoms generally appear within minutes of an injection, last about 15 minutes, and go away by themselves without further problems.
A permanent indentation under the skin at the injection site may occur, due to a local destruction of fat tissue. Be sure to follow proper injection technique and inform your doctor of any skin changes.
After you inject COPAXONE®, call your doctor right away if you develop hives, skin rash with irritation, dizziness, sweating, chest pain, trouble breathing, severe pain at the injection site or other uncomfortable changes in your general health. Do not give yourself any more injections until your doctor tells you to begin again.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
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*IMS Health National Prescription Audit, May 2011. Data is proprietary to IMS Health.
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