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A woman staring into the distance on an outdoor bench, representing how MS can affect mental health.

MS and mental health

The emotional effects of MS often go undiagnosed. This doesn't mean there aren't ways to manage them.

It's not unusual to experience depression, stress and anxiety when you have MS. Medication, talking therapies and self-help techniques can all make it easier to cope with mental health issues.

In this section

Woman staring out of the window representing a person with MS who has depression

Depression

Up to half of people with MS might experience depression at some point. It is often misunderstood, and it can be hard to get a diagnosis. But even without a 'label', there are ways to work on improving how you feel.

Read about depression
A photo representing a woman with MS struggling with stress and anxiety

Stress and anxiety

It’s impossible to avoid it completely, but stress affects a body’s ability to fight disease – so it’s important to learn ways of managing it as much as possible.

Read about stress and anxiety

Other mood and behaviour changes

While many with MS will experience depression or anxiety at some point, more rarely, some people experience changes to their emotions or behaviour that don’t seem to make sense, or that they aren’t able to control.

Coping with loss, grief and guilt

It is important to understand and recognise grief and the emotions it causes. There are also ways of ‘grieving healthily’ - dealing with natural and common reactions to MS.

Supporting someone who has MS

When someone tells you they have MS it can be hard to know what to say, for both of you. The good news is there's lots of ways you can help.

Getting help

Living with a long-term condition isn't always easy. Help is out there if and when you need it. You can turn to others in the same situation as you or to trained professionals.

Staying active

However multiple sclerosis affects you, exercise will help you stay as healthy as possible. Exercising can also improve your mood and some MS symptoms.

Mindfulness and MS

Life can be stressful, and MS doesn’t help. It’s easy to get caught up in our thoughts and worries. Mindfulness is one way people take back control.

Noor
It’s not always easy to be kind to yourself when you feel your body is betraying you, but the time spent practising counselling skills helped me to look at things differently and tune into the changes I was experiencing.
Noor, who uses yoga and mindfulness to help manage her M
Members of a local group chatting at a group meeting

Find support near you

Our local groups are starting to meet face-to-face again. We've made sure any activities can happen in a COVID-safe way. Each group will go at their own pace, and you'll still find lots happening online. From coffee mornings to online yoga classes – put in your postcode to find out what's near you.

Photo shows two young women sitting on a bench, reading.

Helpful resources

From symptoms and treatments to accessing care and support, our booklets and factsheets are packed full of information and tips on living well with MS.

You can download them from our website or order copies from our online shop.

Browse our publications