Multiple Sclerosis: A Guide for Families - Softcover

Rosalind C. Kalb; Ph.D.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1932603107 ISBN 13: 9781932603101

Publisher: Demos Health, 2006

Synopsis

Because most people who are diagnosed with MS are between the ages of 15-55 years, the disease has a significant impact, not only on the individual with the disease, but also on the family members and loved ones whose lives are interwoven with them.

Families experiencing Multiple Sclerosis often find themselves in uncharted territory. Prior patterns of interacting with each other may no longer work; roles often shift with dramatic emotional impact; guilt, anger, sadness and a sense of burden may create a barrier to intimacy, joy, growth and family unity. There are ways out of this debilitating situation and many families have restored their balance, humour, productivity and family solidarity. Multiple Sclerosis: A Guide for Families can lead the way for your family to strengthen its coping skills and to receive targeted information about the disease and its ramifications.

This complete yet highly readable guide for families living with Multiple Sclerosis addresses these issues and more. Families must learn how to strike a reasonable balance between the interests and needs of its members and to accommodate the limitations imposed by MS without allowing them to impact every aspect of family life. This is easier said than done and extensive discussions consider how the basic goals of living with this chronic disease can be met.

About this title

Review

...exceptionally reader-friendly...a good resource for professionals as well as lay readers...Each chapter provides excellent additional readings, and there is an appendix of recommended resources. I highly recommend this invaluable guide. -- Inside MS<P>""...This practical, complete, and highly readable guide is must reading for anyone confronting this debilitating illness personally or in a loved one."" -- The Bookwatch<P>""...a complete, highly readable guide that addresses all of the issues multiple sclerosis brings to the family....essential, critically important reading for anyone with MS, their families and their friends."" -- The Midwest Book Review<P>""...will help MS sufferers and their loved ones prepare for the impact of MS, keep the lines of communication open, devise coping strategies, and give MS no more space in the household than it needs.""-- PA Today

Synopsis

Because most people who are diagnosed with MS are between the ages of 15-55, the disease has a significant impact, not only on the individual with the disease, but also on their family members and loved ones. This brand-new third edition of "Multiple Sclerosis: A Guide for Families" continues to help families to strengthen their coping skills in dealing with the emotional aspect of this disease. Families experiencing multiple sclerosis often find themselves in uncharted territory. Prior patterns of interacting with each other may no longer work; roles often shift with dramatic emotional impact; guilt, anger, sadness, and a sense of burden may create a barrier to intimacy, joy, growth, and family unity. This book helps families navigate through the challenges created by MS, from the time of diagnosis onward. The topics have been selected to give families a roadmap - helping them to understand the potential impact of MS on daily life, strengthen their coping strategies, and plan more effectively for the uncertain tomorrow. Its goal is to enable families to move toward a restoration of balance, humor, productivity, and family solidarity.

In line with this goal, the book provides a comprehensive list of readings and resources. The authors include specialists from the fields of neurology, general medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, psychology, social work, and law, as well as people with MS. Together they provide information and guidance in those areas of daily life of greatest concern for families living with MS - adapting to the disease, developing a relationship with one's physician, sexuality, pregnancy, parenting, cognitive and emotional challenges, caregiving, and long-term planning. This multidisciplinary group reflects the comprehensive care and teamwork that have become the model for effective MS care. The special features and updates include: chapters, which have been updated; recommended resources and reading sections have been fully updated; and two new chapters cover Planning for Possible Care Needs, and Parenting A Child or Teen with MS.

About this edition

• Publisher: Demos Health
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1932603107
• ISBN 13: 9781932603101
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 256