Being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis can be a hard time. There is a lot of uncertainty, a feeling of being out of control and obviously, uncomfortable symptoms.
However, there is so much support available to you.
I’ve been living with MS for almost 12 years. These are some things I wish I knew when I was diagnosed.
There is no cure, but absolutely treatment.
Unfortunately, there is no outright cure for MS. However, there are plenty of options for treatments. There are medications (called Disease Modifying Treatments: DMTs) that have been very successful at delaying progression and resolving symptoms. There are also many options for holistic treatments as well. You can use diet, exercise, stress management strategies, acupuncture, chiropractic care among others to also help your symptoms.
These two options, medication and holistic methods are not mutually exclusive. I’ve been on medication since my diagnosis AND I’m utilizing holistic methods to help control my MS symptoms the best.
Learn about MS.
Knowledge Is power. I have found over the years that the more I know about MS and how it can present itself, the more comfortable I am. I know that the articles I read don’t correspond to my specific situation, but they can help me to feel a little bit more prepared about what may come down the road.
The one part I would caution you against is don’t let reading about MS scare you. Obviously it’s scary to read about someone who progressed to an aggressive form of MS, I get that. But that situation is not you and your situation.
Compile a team & support system.
MS is a lifelong disease. You will need a solid medical team as well as a support system as well. Each one of our treatment teams will look different, because we have different needs. But a primary care doctor and a neurologist who is well-versed in MS, is a good place to start.
A support system is really important as well. This might be a support group, therapist, friends and family. Make sure they are people who you trust and are comfortable with speaking to them about your disease.
Also, if you find that you are not getting the support, treatment or care that you need and deserve, advocate for yourself. If you need to switch providers to find quality care, then do so. There Is no rule saying you have to stay with the same doctor forever.
Pay attention.
Symptoms are like messengers, they communicate to us. If we are not paying attention we might miss the message.
One of the ways that I pay attention to the messages and symptoms is through symptom tracking. I take a quick inventory each morning of my usual symptoms and see how they are presenting that day.
This helps me to know if I need to limit my activity that day or if I can potentially do more. I’m also able to talk to my neurologist about my symptoms clearer, instead of showing up to the appointment and forgetting how I felt for the past few months.
Breathe.
I know this is a scary time for you. It might feel like your life is over or the world is ending. You might be incredibly angry and confused about why this happened to you.
Feel those feelings. Express the rage. Cry it out.
Then breathe.
Life won’t feel this confusing and complicated forever. There will be a time when you look back to this moment and are shocked at how far you’ve come.
You’ve got this friend.
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👉🏼Feeling stuck with your MS symptoms?
👉🏼Feeling like your body betrayed you and is working against you?
👉🏼Are you worried you’re stuck like this and will never get better?
I get it. At one point I did too.
Years ago I was experiencing “Aggressive MS” and I thought I’d never function the same.
I thought my days of moving how I wanted, or doing anything on a whim were over.
I couldn’t walk well, couldn’t feel my body correctly and I was SCARED.
But now?
I’m confident in the ways I’m helping myself.
I no longer have aggressive MS.
I can move how I want, when I want.
Because of the changes I’ve made over the years.
No, it’s not easy, but that’s where I come in!!
I’ve dedicated my life to helping those with MS realize that feeling better is possible and helping them get there.
My 2 courses and my membership are on sale this weekend for Black Friday,
want to start your own success story??
Comment SUCCESS below and I’ll send you the link!!
👉🏼Feeling stuck with your MS symptoms?
👉🏼Feeling like your body betrayed you and is working against you?
👉🏼Are you worried you’re stuck like this and will never get better?
I get it. At one point I did too.
Years ago I was experiencing “Aggressive MS” and I thought I’d never function the same.
I thought my days of moving how I wanted, or doing anything on a whim were over.
I couldn’t walk well, couldn’t feel my body correctly and I was SCARED.
But now?
I’m confident in the ways I’m helping myself.
I no longer have aggressive MS.
I can move how I want, when I want.
Because of the changes I’ve made over the years.
No, it’s not easy, but that’s where I come in!!
I’ve dedicated my life to helping those with MS realize that feeling better is possible and helping them get there.
My 2 courses and my membership are on sale this weekend for Black Friday,
want to start your own success story??
Comment SUCCESS below and I’ll send you the link!!
Grab your path to healing!!
These are the lowest prices for my courses like ever, and they won’t be back. (And they’ll prob be going up in the new year- planning some updates!!)
Comment HEALING below and I’ll send you a link, or check out my stories!!
Grab your path to healing!!
These are the lowest prices for my courses like ever, and they won’t be back. (And they’ll prob be going up in the new year- planning some updates!!)
Comment HEALING below and I’ll send you a link, or check out my stories!!
The first step to being successful with managing stress (& being successful with anything really) is:
Awareness of where you currently are.
You can’t change or manage what you’re not aware of.
You can only know yourself as deep as you’re awareness of yourself goes.
Try this:
Right now as you read this, pause for a sec.
Take a deep breath, and ask yourself:
Where were my thoughts?
Where is my breathing?
What am I saying to myself?
Get really honest here too (warning- it might be uncomfy)
What did you discover while checking in? Let me know in the comments!
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-
If we haven’t met yet, Hi! 👋🏼👋🏼 I’m Alissa. I’m a Holistic Practitioner & Therapist specializing in MS.
I use all the tools I’ve comprised over my 10+ year career (and 14+ years with MS) to help my clients with MS decrease their symptoms, improve their overall health and get back to living life on their terms, not MS’ terms.
Interested to hear how that might look for you? Comment 🧡 below or DM me and we’ll chat!
The first step to being successful with managing stress (& being successful with anything really) is:
Awareness of where you currently are.
You can’t change or manage what you’re not aware of.
You can only know yourself as deep as you’re awareness of yourself goes.
Try this:
Right now as you read this, pause for a sec.
Take a deep breath, and ask yourself:
Where were my thoughts?
Where is my breathing?
What am I saying to myself?
Get really honest here too (warning- it might be uncomfy)
What did you discover while checking in? Let me know in the comments!
-
-
If we haven’t met yet, Hi! 👋🏼👋🏼 I’m Alissa. I’m a Holistic Practitioner & Therapist specializing in MS.
I use all the tools I’ve comprised over my 10+ year career (and 14+ years with MS) to help my clients with MS decrease their symptoms, improve their overall health and get back to living life on their terms, not MS’ terms.
Interested to hear how that might look for you? Comment 🧡 below or DM me and we’ll chat!
Progress is absolutely not linear.
But, it’s still progress nonetheless.
I see you if you’re in a “dip” or feel like you’re going “backwards”
You’re really not, you’re right where you should be.
Keep going!!
🧡❤️🧡
Progress is absolutely not linear.
But, it’s still progress nonetheless.
I see you if you’re in a “dip” or feel like you’re going “backwards”
You’re really not, you’re right where you should be.
Keep going!!
🧡❤️🧡
Lol, all this got me was an MS diagnosis.
This was me basically my whole life up until a few years ago.
My clients have all talked about situations like this too.
It’s no wonder why a lot of us have an autoimmune disease now.
Please, speak your truth. Your body will thank you.
If we haven’t met yet, Hi! 👋🏼👋🏼 I’m Alissa.
I’m a Holistic Practitioner & Therapist specializing in MS.
I use all the tools I’ve comprised over my 10+ year career (and 14+ years with MS) to help my clients with MS decrease their symptoms, improve their overall health and get back to living life on their terms, not MS’ terms.
Interested to hear how that might look for you? Comment 🧡 below or DM me and we’ll chat!
Lol, all this got me was an MS diagnosis.
This was me basically my whole life up until a few years ago.
My clients have all talked about situations like this too.
It’s no wonder why a lot of us have an autoimmune disease now.
Please, speak your truth. Your body will thank you.
If we haven’t met yet, Hi! 👋🏼👋🏼 I’m Alissa.
I’m a Holistic Practitioner & Therapist specializing in MS.
I use all the tools I’ve comprised over my 10+ year career (and 14+ years with MS) to help my clients with MS decrease their symptoms, improve their overall health and get back to living life on their terms, not MS’ terms.
Interested to hear how that might look for you? Comment 🧡 below or DM me and we’ll chat!
This has been a TOUGH week friends.
Don’t lose yourself.
What else would you add to this list?
What helps you when life is super hard?
❤️❤️
This has been a TOUGH week friends.
Don’t lose yourself.
What else would you add to this list?
What helps you when life is super hard?
❤️❤️
I’ve been actively working on my nervous system for the past year or two.
That hasn’t meant that all my anxiety or depression magically vanished.
It just means that when I do find myself feeling like an anxious mess or a depressed puddle, I know how to attend to and care for myself.
Not in the goal of “fixing” per se, more honoring and accepting.
This is one of the ways I help my clients improve their MS symptoms, but attending to their nervous systems and improving their stress response and resilience.
I have so many ways to work with me.. from 1:1 support to my free community.. comment below “interested” and we’ll chat about what would be right for you!
I’ve been actively working on my nervous system for the past year or two.
That hasn’t meant that all my anxiety or depression magically vanished.
It just means that when I do find myself feeling like an anxious mess or a depressed puddle, I know how to attend to and care for myself.
Not in the goal of “fixing” per se, more honoring and accepting.
This is one of the ways I help my clients improve their MS symptoms, but attending to their nervous systems and improving their stress response and resilience.
I have so many ways to work with me.. from 1:1 support to my free community.. comment below “interested” and we’ll chat about what would be right for you!
This is exactly why I do what I do.
Because when I was suffering and going through it, I had no one.
No one in my corner who fully understood.
Sure I had some people around me who cared.. but that’s different than understanding and being supportive.
I don’t want that for you.
I want you to feel confident,
in control of your life,
like you have someone in your corner who understands on a completely different level than those around you.
This is why I do what I do.
Because I don’t want you to feel alone.
PS- My second book is available for pre-order!!
This is a book that I would have loved to read early on in my journey.
I teamed up with 6 other authors to detail how we moved through our diagnosis and came out the other side for the better.
(Also, 5 of the 7 authors also have MS!!)
If you pre order your copy through me before October 24th you’ll also get:
• Signed copy of Resilience Redefined
• The MS Handbook E-book
• Resilience Bookmark
• LissMS Sticker Pack
Comment “book” below and I’ll send you the link!!
This is exactly why I do what I do.
Because when I was suffering and going through it, I had no one.
No one in my corner who fully understood.
Sure I had some people around me who cared.. but that’s different than understanding and being supportive.
I don’t want that for you.
I want you to feel confident,
in control of your life,
like you have someone in your corner who understands on a completely different level than those around you.
This is why I do what I do.
Because I don’t want you to feel alone.
PS- My second book is available for pre-order!!
This is a book that I would have loved to read early on in my journey.
I teamed up with 6 other authors to detail how we moved through our diagnosis and came out the other side for the better.
(Also, 5 of the 7 authors also have MS!!)
If you pre order your copy through me before October 24th you’ll also get:
• Signed copy of Resilience Redefined
• The MS Handbook E-book
• Resilience Bookmark
• LissMS Sticker Pack
Comment “book” below and I’ll send you the link!!
When this is a new habit.. it’s HARD!!
We encounter so many messages that say DONT take time for you, prioritize others, you must.
So.. what stands in your way of prioritizing you?
What is your hesitation when you go take a minute for yourself?
What is the guilt you feel after you actually do?
I’m planning something in a few weeks to help you with just these things.. stay tuned…
When this is a new habit.. it’s HARD!!
We encounter so many messages that say DONT take time for you, prioritize others, you must.
So.. what stands in your way of prioritizing you?
What is your hesitation when you go take a minute for yourself?
What is the guilt you feel after you actually do?
I’m planning something in a few weeks to help you with just these things.. stay tuned…
I’ve found that most all of my clients (and my past self too) would say NOPE, at least at first.
There are so many reasons we don’t value our own needs as much as others, but this is something that def has to be addressed if we want to continue to make progress with improving our health.
You matter.
Remember that.
🧡❤️
I’ve found that most all of my clients (and my past self too) would say NOPE, at least at first.
There are so many reasons we don’t value our own needs as much as others, but this is something that def has to be addressed if we want to continue to make progress with improving our health.
You matter.
Remember that.
🧡❤️
This is what came through during my meditation this morning.
I’ve been feeling so BEHIND lately..
That I’m not doing enough..
That progress isn’t happening fast enough..
But that’s a lie.
I’m right where I should be.
I needed this message today… maybe you do too?
This is what came through during my meditation this morning.
I’ve been feeling so BEHIND lately..
That I’m not doing enough..
That progress isn’t happening fast enough..
But that’s a lie.
I’m right where I should be.
I needed this message today… maybe you do too?
This is how I slowly helped myself the most:
Making small changes to my life,
* Intentional awareness to my morning
* Noticing when I’m being mean to myself
* Noticing when I’m reactive or in a state of fight or flight..
Some “small” ideas for you too:
* don’t grab your phone first thing in the morning, take some deep breaths, think about how you want your day to go
* drink an extra glass of water (bonus if it’s in the morning too)
* get up and move every hour
* say something nice to yourself when you catch yourself being mean
* step outside for a few minutes a few times a day
Small changes add up to big steps forward,
don’t get fooled by these not being “enough”,
they absolutely are.
Wanna hear more about how Ive helped myself and my clients to lessen our MS symptoms so we feel better in our bodies?
I detail it in my chapter in Resilience Redefined.. comment “Book” and I’ll send you the link!!
This is how I slowly helped myself the most:
Making small changes to my life,
* Intentional awareness to my morning
* Noticing when I’m being mean to myself
* Noticing when I’m reactive or in a state of fight or flight..
Some “small” ideas for you too:
* don’t grab your phone first thing in the morning, take some deep breaths, think about how you want your day to go
* drink an extra glass of water (bonus if it’s in the morning too)
* get up and move every hour
* say something nice to yourself when you catch yourself being mean
* step outside for a few minutes a few times a day
Small changes add up to big steps forward,
don’t get fooled by these not being “enough”,
they absolutely are.
Wanna hear more about how Ive helped myself and my clients to lessen our MS symptoms so we feel better in our bodies?
I detail it in my chapter in Resilience Redefined.. comment “Book” and I’ll send you the link!!
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