ABSTRACT
Some chronic illnesses affect the sufferer in more ways than one, especially when it means there is no cure as in multiple sclerosis (MS) and the individual has to accept the diagnosis and make serious changes to their way of living. Such diagnoses may be met with a range of adaptive/maladaptive coping mechanisms depending upon the personality style of the patient, their significant interpersonal relationships, their previous life-history and their capacity to adapt to a changing lifestyle. In addition to the usual assessment described in Chapter Four, it is important to understand the following about the patient:
The patient’s attitude to the illness.
Her pre-morbid functioning.
What the illness has taken away from her.
Does she actively try to remediate these shortcomings?
The quality of her current relationships.
Does she cope in an assertive or passive manner?
Does she have any family support?
