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My boyfriend keeps interrupting me. He said he doesn't mean to, but still continues to do it time after time. He says it's because of his MS.

It's very frustrating to feel unheard.

How do I handle this? I find myself wanting to shout sometimes.

Meowbunnymoo wrote:My boyfriend keeps interrupting me. He said he doesn't mean to, but still continues to do it time after time. He says it's because of MS. It's-

i highly doubt it. although anecdotal evidence would suggest otherwise ;)

results of general search re why ppl interrupt
https://www.google.ca/search?client=ope ... 8Qfm8o6AAQ

research linking ms and interruption: https://scholar.google.ca/scholar?q=int ... AQgQMIJDAA
"...at the time natalizumab was interrupted..."
".. Interrupted therapy. ... "
"...22 patients interrupted treatment ..."
"...Pathways interrupted by lesions at these locations include..."
"...fingolimod may interrupt MS pathology by..."

think you can call BS on that one.

While I agree with Jimmylegs, it is interesting to note that loss of attention span was noted at the early onset of MS.

Cognitive impairment in probable multiple sclerosis.
J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2003 Apr;74(4):443-6.

• OBJECTIVES: To evaluate and characterise cognitive impairment in the very early stage of multiple sclerosis (MS), in which patients are still diagnosed as suffering from probable MS.
  
  METHODS: The Brief Repeatable Battery-Neuropsychological (BRB-N) that has been validated for MS patients was used. Abnormal performance was defined as one standard deviation below the mean reported for healthy age matched subjects. Neurological disability and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed for all patients. Correlation coefficients were calculated between disease burden variables and performance on the BRB-N.
  
  RESULTS: Sixty seven patients with probable MS were evaluated within a mean of one month of the onset of new neurological symptoms. Evidence for the presence of cognitive impairment was shown in 53.7% of patients. Verbal abilities and attention span were most frequently affected. Impairment was not correlated with neurological disability or MRI disease burden.
  
  CONCLUSION: Prevalent cognitive impairment already exists at onset of MS.

Oh, geez.

If I even suggested that he was using his MS to get away with poor behavior, he'd lose his temper. He claims it's cognitive. I'm not him, so it's hard for me say otherwise. It wouldn't go well.

Any advice?

Meowbunnymoo wrote:Any advice?

In either case, BS or MS, he has to try harder.

"Any advice?"

Move on...

Why do you want to be with someone that doesn't listen to you and loses his temper with you when you try to have a reasonable discussion? It will only get more and more difficult down the road.

Moving on seems drastic. I didn't come here to find an excuse to move on.

I was looking for an effective method in dealing with it/possibly stopping the behavior. I was also looking for a way to address it without being insensitive or telling him he's using his MS as an excuse.

I don't have MS. Even if I did, we wouldn't have the same symptoms. Therefore, I don't feel comfortable being blunt or callous about it.

does he seem the type to embrace some personal responsibility for his health, perhaps consider that he might share one or more nutritional deficits known to affect typical ms patients, understand that these deficits can be clearly linked to mood/irritability, and from there, to take action?

if not, hypothetically speaking, how do you feel about spiking loved ones' food/drink with essential nutrients? ;) and don't exclude yourself from this prescription.. while you don't want to reward bad behaviour it's possible that you can lengthen your own fuse with an infusion of nutritional relaxation. there are a few essential nutrients known to affect mood in particular, but one in particular leaps to mind as a relatively easy addition to daily routine.

"mmm hon i've got this excellent new thing it's kind of like herbal tea sooooo good want some?"
https://naturalcalm.ca (lemon-raspberry and cherry flavours are reportedly most popular)

even if he refuses to try it, at a bare minimum you'll be recouping some of the essential nutrient losses that result from chronic stress. there's every chance that *you* will at least feel better able to cope.

related, of possible interest (super low n# however)

Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology
Treatment of Mood Lability and Explosive Rage with Minerals and Vitamins: Two Case Studies in Children
http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10 ... 2760386897
"Both boys benefited from the micronutrient supplement when examined in ABAB designs: mood, angry outbursts, and obsessional symptoms improved when initially treated, returned when not taking the supplement, and remitted when the micronutrient supplement was reintroduced. Both boys have been followed and are stable on the nutritional supplement for over 2 years. These cases suggest that mood lability and explosive rage can, in some cases, be managed with a mixture of biologically active minerals and vitamins..."

also interesting (oldie but a goodie)

MOOD CHANGE AND MAGNESIUM: A POSSIBLE INTERACTION BETWEEN MAGNESIUM AND LITHIUM?
http://journals.lww.com/jonmd/Abstract/ ... ION.8.aspx
Magnesium and lithium are chemically related. Magnesium is an essential ion in many enzyme systems and lithium is of value in the treatment of manic-depressive disease. A significant sex difference in mean plasma magnesium levels is reported in 44 depressed patients. It is suggested that further studies of magnesium metabolism are indicated and that they may provide a better understanding of manic-depressive disease and the mode of action of lithium.