Optimism for Our Very Survival
A choice we all can make
My love and affection for an optimistic life was born out of the reality of having what is likely Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (PPMS). An MS specialist can say for certain what I have, but the Medicaid system of Texas will not cover an office visit or an official diagnosis.
Coping with the initial symptoms of my PPMS diagnosis is why I became an optimist. We live in with uncertain politics and climate, I understand now how optimistic ways can save myself and other people from suffering much anxiety and uncertainty. A few readers have shown me how my optimism affects them positively, and I see that my coping mechanism is much more than simply dealing with my MS.
Life now requires we believe that the hope and good that has lasted through history will continue throughout our lifetime. Being on the right side of history is among the beliefs I hold on to now more than ever. This way of coping with the risks of modern life is more applicable now as the more honest side of history is historically unbeaten.
This way of thinking was all that saved me during the months I suffered from Majority Depressive Disorder (MDD), and can probably serve us all now. That was during a time when the debate if life was worth living or even trying anymore was active in my head. The impatience that I had was almost going to win, and I would have ended my life.
That is a sad thing to reflect upon, I know, but with optimism as my tool for survival, I’ve found that life is as beautiful or as dark as we make it. More and more as people read my blogs, they see that if I can use optimism to keep my life going, they can use the same means to keep theirs going. A modest turn to positivity can be helpful in seeking the best of all outcomes.
Telling people about my new thought process of optimism truly gives me more hope. Beating back the old demons of gloom and doubt is as easy as telling someone why I am hopeful now. The continual refilling of my hope is necessary when I encounter bad health or world news.
Controlling the stream of world news is one thing, but the health side of things can leave things in a struggle. Knowing that very thing which makes it possible for me to recall facts of history and political science is under attack is troubling to say the least. The illness’s cognitive affects are the worst for me.
Movement and other facets of the symptoms of things my brain controls is an ever-expanding list. Lately, effects to my central nervous system (CNS) are more in play now with the type of lesions I’ve had. My last MRI, scans were of my brain stem and not my brain.
PPMS affects parts of the CNS in ways different from people with other forms of MS. Problems with bowels and the bladder, and tremors or seizures are that much worse for patients with PPMS. Bladder issues currently make getting a good night’s sleep impossible for me.
The choice to be optimistic is not one I really have since my illness of MS and Type 1 diabetes are not going to cured anytime soon. Then again, it seems we all have no real “choice” when taking into consideration the rising global temperature, racial tensions, and the divisions that politics feed. The reality is that we all live with climate, political, and social dramas, but choosing to be optimistic is a choice we can all make.
