Exploring the Self-Talk of Women with Multiple Sclerosis; Qualitative Study

Abstract

Background Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive disease of the central nervous system characterized by extensive lesions in the brain and spinal cord. Patients with MS suppress their emotions, are overly sensitive and anxious, and often have internal conversations with themselves. Inner speech is described as a person's silent conversation with himself. This conversation has a significant positive or negative effect on the quality of life and mental health of people. Objective This study was conducted to explore the self-talk of women with MS due to the role of self-talk in these components and its importance in the course of MS. Methods The research method is qualitative and its strategy was descriptive phenomenology. The research environment included all the MS patients in Isfahan in 2022. Those people who had the conditions to enter the research were selected using the purposeful sampling method. A semi-structured interview was conducted with them until saturation. The interviews were conducted with 19 participants. Results The data were analyzed using the Colaizzi method. The findings were presented in the form of 50 concepts, 17 sub-themes, and 7 main themes. The main categories were created under the headings of self-improvement, stable self-confidence, rational mindfulness, effective relationship management, weakness in managing thoughts and feelings, stressful situations, and experience of desire-avoidance. Conclusion According to the results, positive self-talk for women with MS has positive consequences in terms of improving mental health components and coping with the disease. On the other hand, negative self-talk creates negative and destructive consequences such as mood and health problems.