Mental Health Episodes

Cognitive issues affect a majority of people living with MS and experts often recommend a cognitive assessment as the first step in managing cognitive dysfunction. But what's that cognitive assessment all about? Patient advocate Cathy Chester has been living with MS since 1986 and she just recently underwent her own 3-hour cognitive assessment. Cathy is joining me to walk us through her experience. And if you're wondering what a cognitive assessment is all about and how it might help you, you w...

Imagine being able to see improvement in cognition, motor function, and self-esteem, while enhancing neurological functions like walking and speech without taking another pill or even breaking a sweat. Joining me to talk about the evidence-based benefits that people living with MS can gain through music and art therapy are Dr. Meera Rastogi, Veronica DeNoma, and Betsy Hartman. We're also talking about the shocking and deeply concerning outcome of a study used to validate the reliability of a n...

At some point, about 50% of the people living with MS will experience clinical depression. This goes beyond simply feeling sad. Left unchecked, MS-related depression can sometimes lead to tragic consequences. As it relates to multiple sclerosis, mental health must be de-stigmatized, studied more rigorously, and discussed more often. Returning to the podcast to talk about managing the mood-related symptoms of MS is Dr. Anthony Feinstein, a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto an...

The COVID-19 pandemic has created what experts are calling a mental health crisis of unparalleled proportion. Many people affected by MS have had to add pandemic-related stresses and anxieties to the already existing anxieties that come from living with a chronic illness. And that's a lot to carry around every day. Joining me to talk about managing your mood and quieting some of the noise in your head is psychologist, psychoanalyst, Certified Multiple Sclerosis Specialist, and MS Partner in Car...

Living through a lockdown can be challenging, and it's resilience that helps us get through life's challenges and recover from setbacks. And while resilience may have become a new topic of conversation for the world at large, when you're living with the uncertainty of MS, you come to realize that resilience is one of the most important tools in your self-care toolbox. Joining me to talk about building your resilience is Dr. Meghan Beier. Dr. Beier is a Rehabilitation Neuropsychologist and an As...

We're less than one week away from the National MS Society's Public Policy Conference. This year, the Public Policy Conference is virtual, which means that you have an opportunity to attend and learn how you can advocate for change on important policy issues affecting the MS community. Joining me to talk about the Public Policy Conference and the issues that MS Activists will be discussing with our congressional representatives in the days following the conference is the Executive Vice-Presiden...

If you spend more than a minute on social media it can seem like there's more misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines than there is legitimate, fact-based information. And I've heard it said that if you repeat a lie enough, it becomes the truth. So we're doing some major COVID-19 vaccine myth-busting with Dr. Scott Newsome. Dr. Newsome is an Associate Professor of Neurology and Director of Neurosciences Consultation and Infusion Center at Johns Hopkins Medicine. He also serves as the Co-Dire...

A fulfilling sexual relationship with your partner can have a positive impact on your physical and mental health in a variety of ways. But studies suggest that about 80% of the people living with MS are affected by some kind of sexual dysfunction. We're devoting this entire episode of RealTalk MS to talking about sex and MS with my guest, Dr. Linda Mona. Dr. Mona is a licensed clinical psychologist and founder of Inclusivity Clinical Consulting Services. She's been recognized by the American Ps...

The National MS Society has updated their COVID-19 vaccine guidance for people living with MS, providing detailed recommendations for timing your disease-modifying therapy with the two COVID-19 vaccines that are approved in the U.S. If you're on a disease-modifying therapy and you've been wondering about your DMT and the COVID-19 vaccines, this episode is for you. My guest this week is Dr. Jaime Imitola, the Director of the Division of Multiple Sclerosis and Translational Neuroimmunology at UCo...

Feeling some of the stress and anxiety that often come with the holiday season? Who could blame you? If the holidays aren't enough, this year, we're also going through what's looking like the worst part of the COVID-19 pandemic. Stress and anxiety aren't guaranteed, but they aren't exactly unexpected, either. My guest this week, Megan Weigel, is here to share some techniques and strategies that we can use to de-stress during the holidays. Megan is a nurse practitioner specializing in neurologi...