Living Well with Multiple Sclerosis

Podcast: Living Well with MS
Host: Overcoming MS
Episode: Webinar Highlights: Resilience following Overcoming MS with Dr Rachael Hunter | S6E17
Date: August 21, 2024

Episode Overview

This episode features highlights from the “Resilience following Overcoming MS” webinar, presented by Dr. Rachael Hunter, a clinical psychologist and lecturer at Swansea University. Dr. Hunter delves into the critical importance of resilience and emotional wellbeing for people living with multiple sclerosis (MS), focusing on practical strategies grounded in the Overcoming MS (OMS) Program. The discussion explores the interplay of lifestyle, emotional health, stress management, and how simple habits can support resilience and recovery.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introduction to OMS & Resilience

• OMS Program Review: Dr. Hunter opens with an overview of the OMS Program, emphasizing its core aspects—a whole-food, plant-based diet rich in omega-3s, regular exercise, mindfulness and stress management, and lifestyle changes for prevention.
  • “The OMS programme really is a lifestyle change, a lifestyle approach to managing MS.” (02:33)
• Acknowledging Emotional Challenges: Living with MS means facing uncertainty. Dr. Hunter encourages listeners to allow themselves to feel and trust difficult emotions as valid responses to their situation.

The Physiology of Stress and MS

• Stress Response & Inflammation:
  • Chronic stress activates the sympathetic nervous system, leading to “flooding our body with these kind of quite toxic stress hormones and chemicals like cortisol.” (06:20)
  • Prolonged stress can worsen inflammation in MS. “It’s like pouring petrol on a fire.” (06:54)
• Prioritizing Basics for Wellbeing:
  • Dr. Hunter references Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, advising listeners to focus on fundamental self-care—nutrition, sleep, hydration, and breathing.
  • “What I found is those basic building blocks are more important than ever... for giving us a real sense of control.” (07:35)

Emotional Wellbeing: More Than Just Diet

• Beyond Diet: OMS is not just a diet; equal attention must be paid to emotional and mental health.
• Negative Bias and Worry:
  • Human brains are “wired to focus on the negatives,” which is helpful in short-term survival but problematic when chronic. (10:04)
  • “We have begun to understand the value of finding time to look for the positives.” (10:21)
• Worry Management Tips:
  • Allocate “worry time”—set aside 30 minutes daily to concentrate worries, freeing up mental space for the rest of the day.
  • Use planning, journaling, or sharing as tools for managing anxiety.
  • “Show compassion and kindness to ourselves... we shouldn’t be embarrassed about the fact that we’re worrying.” (12:28)
• Self-Compassion Metaphor:
  • Treat yourself with the kindness you’d offer a worried child.
  • “You wouldn’t dismiss them or tell them that they were being silly. You would talk to them with kindness and compassion.” (12:47)

Reconnecting with Values and Meaning

• Values-Based Living:
  • “This time has really forced [people] to think about what their true values are—spending time with loved ones, eating nice food, being outside.” (13:20)
  • Authenticity—living aligned with your values—yields lasting contentment and happiness.

Daily Practices to Foster Resilience

• Simple Daily Habits:
  • “Good mental wellbeing isn’t a kind of magical... There is no magic secret and there is no magic pill. A lot of the time it comes down to very simple daily practices.” (14:23)
• Gratitude Practice: Keep a gratitude journal or make daily gratitude lists (either in your mind or on paper).
• Mindfulness and Meditation:
  • Even brief practice helps—even if “all you can do is use the time the kettle takes to boil to check in with yourself and your breath.” (15:34)
  • Dr. Hunter offers a mindfulness tip: “Inhaling for four, exhaling for six... that simple act... tips [the body] into a parasympathetic response.” (16:15)

The Power of Connection and Kindness

• Social Support & Oxytocin:
  • “When we’re in a supporting, reciprocal relationship... our body gets flooded by oxytocin—the love hormone, or cuddle hormone.” (17:10)
  • Acts of kindness boost the wellbeing of the giver as much as (or more than) the recipient.
  • “When we do engage in positive relationships and... show kindness... the person doing the giving experiences the best outcome from that.” (17:50)
• Reflecting on Past Resilience:
  • Drawing strength from past experiences: “Remember how you survived every single one of those moments and how many of you actually thrived in that situation.” (18:33)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Navigating Emotions:
  • “It’s really, really important that we acknowledge these difficult feelings... and we trust those feelings and we allow ourselves to feel them. They are valid.” — Dr. Rachael Hunter (03:52)
• On Self-Compassion:
  • “Extend that same kindness and compassion to ourselves and to talk kindly when we find ourselves in that situation.” — Dr. Hunter (12:55)
• On Practical Mindfulness:
  • “The breath, it’s free, there’s no side effects, and you can enjoy the time quiet, just having that inhale, that longer exhale.” — Dr. Hunter (16:32)
• On Connection:
  • “It’s actually you, the person doing the giving or the act of kindness, who experiences... the best outcome from that.” — Dr. Hunter (17:50)
• On Resilience:
  • “Think about all of the times in your life that you have overcome all those curveballs, all those life changing phone calls... and how many of you actually thrived.” — Dr. Hunter (18:33)

Important Timestamps

• 01:00 — Dr. Hunter introduces herself and the OMS Program
• 03:52 — Acknowledging and validating difficult emotions
• 06:20 — Explanation of stress and its physiological impact on MS
• 07:35 — Emphasis on “going back to basics”: sleep, diet, hydration
• 10:04 — Discussion of negative bias and chronic worry
• 12:28 — Using self-compassion to manage worry
• 14:23 — The importance of small daily practices and gratitude
• 15:34 — Mindfulness as a simple, accessible daily practice
• 17:10 — The neuroprotective effects of supportive relationships and kindness
• 18:33 — Remembering and building on personal past resilience

Final Thoughts

Dr. Rachael Hunter frames resilience not as an extraordinary trait but as something built through daily habits, compassion, and connection. The OMS lifestyle provides a strong foundation, but true wellbeing also includes nurturing emotional health, focusing on what matters, and practicing kindness—toward others and, importantly, oneself. This webinar provides practical, evidence-based tools for anyone living with MS or chronic conditions to proactively manage stress, cultivate resilience, and live more fully.