Happy Thanksgiving--You Aren't Idiots

I've been informed that people often think I'm talking-down to them, because I inform them of oddities of Multiple Sclerosis of which they could not possibly be aware.

Being around too many voices, for example, is tough enough for highly-intelligent people--but if a person has NEURAL-DAMAGE, there are added problems that large-gatherings press upon that person that are unseen (except by others with similar neural-damage).

What I'm saying is that people WITHOUT NEURAL-DAMAGE have NO POINT-OF-REFERENCE as to the very-real phenomena being experienced by those WITH neural-damage (and shouldn't presume that they DO, no matter HOW CARING they might be).

By the way...I'm NOT trying to talk-down to people.

I'm merely stating the truth...which isn't so obvious to those who have gatherings on their minds.

I've had almost 5 years-experience living with the rigors of M.S. every minute of the day, so I would think most people would simply accept that I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
But every once-in-a-while, I run into someone who thinks he/she can really understand what's going on in the mind of someone whose experience is genuinely outside of their own...and I have to say CONCLUSIVELY that they "don't know what they're talking about."

This need to inform the NEURO-NEOPHYTE that he/she is in error/hasn't thought the matter through adequately, has gotten me ostracized from the most unexpected conversations...and during family-gatherings this can cause real arguments...or WORSE.

But I realize that this isn't unique to MY SITUATION, so I accept that others out there may have circumstances with which to contend that are equally (or MORE) stressful vis-a-vis the Holidays, so may you have a relatively-peaceful Thanksgiving, too.

--mattergy