Technology Solutions to Help You Stay Connected
Does your MS ever make you feel isolated from the rest of the world? Are you looking to share your experiences with other people with MS?
Many of the barriers to staying connected can often be addressed through the technology resources listed below.
Social Networking Sites
Social networks allow you to reach out to people living with MS to share your experiences. Click here for a list of social networking sites.
- Facebook is now the largest, free-access social networking website in the country. Users can join networks organized by city, workplace, school, region and area of interest – including multiple sclerosis - to connect and interact with other people.
- Gather is the premier social networking site for people over the age of 30. Similar to MySpace and Facebook, Gather allows users to create profiles and join groups with similar interests.
- MySpace is a social networking website with an interactive, user-submitted network of friends, personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music and videos for teenagers and adults internationally. MySpace offers hundreds of social networks related to Multiple Sclerosis.
Support Groups
Whether you've just been diagnosed or have lived with MS for many years, the support and counsel of others can be important and validating. There are several ways to receive that support online and off. Click here for help in finding the support you need.
- MS World is a global internet support community for people living with MS. MS World offers chat rooms, message boards, personalized care pages, and a number of additional resources for people affected by MS.
- PatientsLikeMe™ offers a community for people with MS, allowing you to create a personal profile and track your disease progression, find other patients like yourself and learn from their experiences, and engage in live discussion forums with other members of the MS community.
Accessing Information
The more you learn about your MS, the better equipped you are to work with your healthcare provider to manage your MS. Use the following links to learn about some of the information that’s available:
Common misconceptions about MS
Maintaining Employment
At work and in professional situations you may feel the need to protect your privacy and as a result, you may be reluctant to discuss your MS with your employer. At some point, you may decide you need to talk to your employer about your MS and workplace accommodations. Use the following links to find suggestions and tips to help guide you in dealing with work issues.
Discussing your MS with others
An overview of MS for employers
The Win-Win approach to accommodations on the job
Advice for Care Partners
If you're caring for someone with MS, whether it's your spouse or partner, another family member or a friend, you need emotional support and advice as much as the person for whom you are caring. Use the following links for information about how to be a care partner to someone with MS:
Join the Family Caregiver Alliance