This may not be directly related to multiple sclerosis, but since everything everywhere seems to be, it shall be addressed. Irrational fears are still fears and they still prompt those who have them to take unnecessary steps to prepare themselves, usually for no realistic reason. This preparation may harm them or help/save them, but it does not rationalize or justify the fear.
I don’t often sit on the ground. It isn’t always easy for me to rise and it dirties nice clothes. Most of the hobbies and activities I enjoy and partake in take place indoors. That isn’t to say that I never sit on the ground, indoors or out. That leads me to admit to an irrational fear I don’t often disclose.
When sitting, I require back support. MS patients routinely endure back pain and understand needing a chair as opposed to a stool, but that is not the aforementioned irrational fear. If no back support is available and I am sitting on the ground, I place my hands behind me and lean back. If there are others standing or walking by me, I am convinced they will walk on my hands and crush them.
Has having my hands walked on and crushed or stepped on ever actually happened? No, it has not. But, that has not diminished the trepidation. Is it realistic to believe that using a sleep mask that has fallen to the ground a single time will lead to blindness? Even if it fell on the floor of an animal’s cage it is doubtful that would be the outcome. Is it insightful or paranoid to be wary of sleep sounds because they may contain hidden messages? I would categorize such things as rampant paranoia and not at all productive.
These fictitious tragedies tend to be more prevalent when life is going reasonably well, when the mind is accustomed to being busy focusing on realistic hazards. It’s certainly important to meticulously plan movements, actions, and reactions. That can prevent or lessen injuries and accidents. But, thinking that improbable calamities is a signal of health and peace is just not accurate. Sometimes the mind does it because it is addicted to solving problems. MS presents a myriad of such problems and those problems require much improvisation and adaptation. Many patients subconsciously want those challenges because overcoming challenges is something that becomes less and less frequent.
It doesn’t have to be. You have overcome and can and will again. If you see these irrational fears for what they are, you can ACCEPT them. Once you have, you can ADJUST. This may be as simple as finding a wall or tree, where you can’t be snuck up on, instead of laying hands on the floor. This may ultimately lead to these fears diminishing and disappearing. At that point, you can ADVANCE to a lighter existence where you are only concerned with the real stuff.
#multiplesclerosis #irrationalfears