Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
close window
Housecall Archives
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
close window
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Coping and support
By Mayo Clinic staffLearning you have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis can be devastating. The following tips may help you and your family cope:
- Take time to grieve. The news that you have a fatal condition that will rob you of your mobility and independence is often nothing less than shocking. If you are newly diagnosed, you and your family will likely experience a period of mourning and grief.
- Be hopeful. Some people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis live much longer than the three to five years typically associated with this condition. Some live 10 years or more. Keeping hope alive is vital for people with ALS.
- Think beyond the physical changes. ALS doesn't typically affect the intellect or spirit. Many people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis lead rich, rewarding lives. Try to think of ALS as only one part of your life, not your entire identity.
- Join a support group. You may find comfort in sharing your concerns in a support group with others who have ALS. Your family members and friends helping with your care also may benefit from a support group of others who care for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Find support groups in your area by talking to your doctor or by contacting the ALS Association.
- Make decisions now about your future medical care. Planning for the future allows you to be in control of decisions about your life and your care. With the help of your doctor or hospice nurse, you can decide whether or not you want certain life-extending procedures. And you can determine where you want to spend your final days. Talking about these issues isn't easy. But facing your anxieties about the future may help you better enjoy life today.
References
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/amyotrophiclateralsclerosis/detail_amyotrophiclateralsclerosis.htm. Accessed Sept. 18, 2008.
- Elman LB, et al. Clinical features of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 18, 2008.
- Maragakis NJ, et al. Epidemiology and pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 18, 2008.
- McCluskey L. Familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 18, 2008.
- Neurological diagnostic tests and procedures. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/misc/diagnostic_tests.htm. Accessed Sept. 19, 2008.
- ALS in the military: Unexpected consequences of military service. ALS Association. http://www.alsa.org/files/pdf/als_military_paper.pdf. Accessed Sept. 19, 2008.
- Elman LB, et al. Diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 19, 2008.
- Galvez-Jimenez N, et al. Symptom-based management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 19, 2008.
- Choudry RB, et al. Pharmacologic treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 19, 2008.
- Why is exercise important? In: Everyday Life With ALS: A Practical Guide. Muscular Dystrophy Association. http://www.als-mda.org/publications/everydaylifeals/ch8/. Accessed Sept. 19, 2008.
- Radunovic A, et al. Clinical care of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Lancet Neurology. 2007;6(10):913-925.
- Lyon M. Reasons for living with ALS. ALS Association. http://www.alsa.org/patient/living.cfm?CFID=1025297&CFTOKEN=f8c064e9dbbd397-7B4C955C-188B-2E62-8049290070F4DFA9. Accessed Sept. 19, 2008.
- Good practice in the management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Clinical guidelines. An evidence-based review with good practice points. Umea, Sweden: EALSC Working Group. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. 2007;8:195-213.
- Crum BA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Oct. 21, 2008.
