I can totally relate to your up-brining. My life was filled with the verbal and often physical abuse you speak of, as well, as watching my siblings and my mother be subjected to the same. I have often wondered the same things as you are questioning now.

yeah VERY stressful childhood

My parents did not hit me, but they were both high stress personalities, always yelling and making fun of us--even though we knew they loved us. All four of us were quiet and timid as children because our parents' personalities totally overwhelmed us. As adults we have discussed this, and I am the only one to carry anger about it. The rest just took it as normal.

Its just a thought but I always remember being scared of everyone and everything up until the age of about 32, Thats when I started to calm down and understand myself, thats when the ms started.
If I had stayed pent up would I have developed ms.
I wonder cos as a kid you body is still growing, would'nt take much to upset it, I know we all have different ways of dealing with stress so its hard to say.

I had a very stressfull childhood, but never saw it that way. I saw the beatings and verbal abuse as discipline that I deserved. Other than that, I was very happy until I was about 13, that's when I realized how messed up our family life was. I spend time in counseling for many years. I felt peacefull with myself about two years ago. i was diagnosed with MS last year.

I never thought of connecting the two. i did have a very stressful childhood but at the same time my brother did as well and he is perfectly healthy so who knows...

I was extremely lucky to have a wonderful childhood with very loving parents that I knew would do anything they could for me and would always support my decisions in life.

Ive always said, I dont know where my childhood ends and where my MS begins! My hands used to tremble terribly as far back as 2nd grade.But that was due to my abruptly awakened from my sleep and torchered & tormented! I still bare a fork mark on my stomach from the age of about 18months,when a fork was held over a flame then placed on my belly.

Thank you so much for asking this.

I was very stressed and scared as a child, too.

I've spent a lot of time thinking about this and wondering if it was related to MS.

Of all the posters so far, only GoAwayMS didn't have stress as a child.

Odd. We've got to get over this. If anyone really learns how, please let me know. Thanks.

I actually had a great childhood - loving parents and always having fun. I don't think that a stressful childhood is something I can claim.

I didn't have a stressful childhood either, unless you say I stressed MYSELF out with my overachieving obsession in sports and stuff. I didn't have a life lived on my nerves, as you put it, so I can't claim stress as a trigger for my immune system mutiny either, and after doing a examination of all my medical issues, I realized my first MS attack was at age 8-9. I think that stress isn't the cause, but it sure doesn't help either. XOXO

My mother died when I was six. My only memory of her is being laid in the hospital bed with her and she started crying saying that she had not seen us in so long. My father, older sister(15yrs)and brother(14 years) decided to give us to aunt and uncle in MO to raise. They did not think I would have any memories. I suffered from my early 20's on. I spent 1/3 of my life wishing I could commit suicide. There was so much rage pent up inside of me that it did not surprise me that my body turned against me. I do think severe depression can be a trigger for ms. Two anti-depressants saved me from the mental hell I was in. Can live in the present now thank God.

wondered this myself-very very bad childhood

Well Jim, this will come as no surprise to you but I'll add my 2p for the benefit of this 'poll'. Yes, 'abuse' was the modus operandi for me when I was a child - everything from burns, beatings, being locked in a cupboard, having my head shaved - you name it. I split from home when I was 15 and ultimately became a ward of the court.

The sad thing is I believe my childhood conditioned me to accept (emotional) abuse in my adult life. We are taught what is and what's not acceptable when we're children and to break away from those, we have to be extra vigilant and have a high degree of self awareness.

Very bad childhood.Father left when i was three.Mother a total bitch and she had many boyfriends.Bad adulthood up till now.Abusive marrage.Raped twice and suffered alot of depression.