what are the social ramifications for those afflicted with multiple sclerosis?

Answer 1

For the most part, Multiple Sclerosis is a difficult disease for a person to deal with because of the dichotomy between how you look on the outside and how you feel on the inside. An oft heard expression for those with MS is "You have MS? But you look so good..." Trying to assimilate how "good" you look with how "bad" you feel often leads to a great deal of stress and depression.

So to your question, often there are no outward signs that a person has MS at all. It's a very personal disease, not only in the way it affects each sufferer, but in that it's very hard to tell that someone has it.

The notable exceptions, and the times when MS can affect someone socially, are when there are outward signs: a cane, a walker, or a wheelchair. It's at those times that the MS sufferer can feel the same stigmas and stereotypes that any disabled person feels.

HTH