Multiple sclerosis and depression

We all feel down sometimes. That's natural, and part of life's rich tapestry.

But sometimes, for some of us, that short-term feeling turns into something much longer-lasting and more profound. Clinical depression can involve feelings of sadness and hopelessness, irritability, losing interest in activities, loss of ability to concentrate of make decisions, tearfulness, tiredness, sleep disturbances, and physical aches and pains. It is often linked with anxiety.

 

Each year, around 6% of the UK population have an episode of depression, and more than 15% will have an episode during their lifestime.Having a long-term physical illness increases your risk of depression up to about one in three, and NICE have recently issued guidelines for this situation.


Multiple sclerosis, being a long-term condition, follows this pattern. Up to 50% of people with MS experience depression at some point in their lives, and around 20% within each year. People with MS are at 7.5 times the risk of suicide of the general population.. There are several reasons for this:

• To have MS is to be in a state of uncertainty. Your life has changed completely. You have a long-term condition with a variable course, which could potentially progress to severe disability. Your self-image changes: you fear losing independence, you may lose your job or friendships.
• Depression can also be caused by MS's physical changes to the brain. If it damages the parts of the brain that control mood and emotional expression, behavioural changes can result, including depression.
• MS can also affect the immune and neuroendocrine systems. For instance, studies have found changes in immune markers in people with MS who are depressed.
• Depression can be a side-effect of certain drugs, such as the corticosteroids often prescribed for MS relapses.

There is some evidence that depression is (not surprisingly) more common around the time of a relapse, but people with more severe physical disability are not more likely to be depressed. Nor is it related to how long you've had MS.

There is no shame in having depression. It's a disabling condition just as much as a broken leg, heart disease - or, indeed, MS. It's important that we learn to recognise its onset in ourselves, and seek help. It doesn't mean weakness or need to be hidden. I see my depression as a long-term condition to be managed, like my MS.

Treatments for depression can be very effective. If you think you may be depressed, please visit your doctor and explain how you feel. If you are suicidal, contact the Samaritans.

So, if you have MS, it's entirely possible that you also have depression. Clearly not an ideal situation, but entirely treatable and manageable. As I said: all part of life's rich tapestry!