Perfectly Imperfect Multiple Sclerosis

One of our biggest obstacles in, first, believing we can live a full and complete live with Multiple Sclerosis and, second, actually doing it, is that silent self-critic that makes anything less than perfect a problem.

Perfectly imperfect. A diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis automatically makes us feel less than perfect and it’s never something we factor into our lives – ever, so it becomes a problem. But really the notion that somehow we are all going to be perfect all of our lives, the notion of perfectionism, is the problem. It is a mythical state of existence that holds us back from happiness, progress, and truly living beyond the diagnosis.

When I began to practice naturopathic medicine I was struck by how sick our culture is. It jolted me out of thinking that I was the only one who got ripped off with a diagnosis. People who look perfect, who function ‘normally’ get sick just like I did. And everyone is surprised when things go wrong. We are simply not taught to observe how we are feeling at any given moment, we have had a healthcare promise of ‘we can fix you if you get sick’ so what to we do? We just to push through.

I’ve got news for you. Despite your diagnosis, despite how crummy your may be feeling right now or how afraid you are of the future, you are perfect right now, just the way you are. Or, perfectly imperfect.

And, your acceptance of that and it is arguably the most compassionate move you can make on your road to good health.

Self-acceptance is not about rolling over and ‘playing dead’

Don’t get me wrong – self-acceptance is not about rolling over and ‘playing dead’…letting the diagnosis, the doctors, the world of disease, the fear, the sudden fall from personal grace…the imperfection…become your whole life. But it is about acknowledging that something has changed, that this is the new reality and that in accepting that you are empowered to make change. I’ve come to understand that you can’t change something you haven’t accepted. That’s called denial. Now denial can be a powerful tool in itself, it served me well for years! But really it is simply a state of waiting for the other shoe to drop and dealing with things then.

I don’t do regret, it’s one of those toxic emotions, but sometimes I think how things might be now if I had been encouraged to take control as soon as I could after the diagnosis.

Today’s MS reality is one full of proactive possibilities for managing disease by bringing more health in.

One of my favourite ways of connecting with myself in an accepting way – on good days and bad – is with a body scan meditation.

Here is a link to a fantastic body scan meditation by Jon Kabat-Zinn. I really think you will love it!