Interview with a Clinical Psychologist

While most people think about the physical aspects to having a disease such as Multiple Sclerosis, quite often the emotional and psychological aspects get ignored or shoved to the side.  The literature gives stats which show that more than half of all people who have MS also suffer from some form of depression.  This depression can be due to the emotional aspects of dealing with having a chronic illness, but it can also have a direct physiological cause from brain lesions interfering with those areas of the brain which affect mood.

We are neither purely emotional nor are we purely biological beings.  We humans are a very intricate and multi-dimensional in that our biology affects our psychology and vice versa.  I will make the bold statement here that if you have Multiple Sclerosis, there will be psychological issues to work out.

To kick off this new year I want to delve more deeply into how MS affects mood and what you can do about it.  In order to help me with this daunting task, I have sought out people working within the mental health field such as "Clinical Psych," a psychologist and blogger devoted to issues of how mental health is affected by physical illness.  Having a chronic autoimmune illness herself, Clinical Psych has first hand experience coping with chronic illness and the impact it has upon mood.

Clinical Psych has chosen to remain rather anonymous due to the nature of her job and the wish to protect her patient's privacy.

Name: Health Psych. I prefer to keep anonymous because I am in practice.

Occupation: Psychologist, currently in private practice.

Type of therapy you do: While I have a strong cognitive-behavioural focus, I prefer to mix therapeutic flavours as determined both by the client and the specifics of the situation. I don't believe that 'one size fits all' when it comes to therapy and so take a more eclectic approach.

 Blog name and link: Health Psych   

Other pertinent information:

As a psychologist, my particular interest is in the relationships between psychology and illness, both in psychological reactions to illness, such as depression and anxiety, but also in the more abnormal illness behaviours, such as hypochondriasis, somatisation and factitious disorder.

I originally became interested in the role of psychology in illness following my own experience with chronic illness (autoimmune diseases).

My responses to the questions below represent my personal views and experience and should not be interpreted as personal advice. If you are currently experiencing distress, please consult your primary healthcare physician or a mental health professional as soon as possible.

1.  What sorts of psychological challenges do you think a person suffering from a lifelong chronic illness most often has to overcome?

Coping with a chronic illness can represent a considerable challenge. Chronic illness is, by its very nature, unpredictable. Even when considering the same conditions, there often appears to be no set pattern.  For some, the onset of a chronic illness can be sudden, while others can go through a lengthy period, where symptoms are subtle and getting a diagnosis can be extremely frustrating. From that point, the condition can be progressive or stable, can fluctuate in severity and the longer term consequences faced can either be life-threatening or inconsequential.