Emma Gillespie

And it's not always in a malicious way.

It's not always coming from a place of

trying to be hurtful, but often that outdated attitude and trying to show up in a way that seems like care can actually have a detrimental impact.

Yeah.

And they're trying to help.

And, you know, you can understand where these attitudes come from.

But what this data shows is there are massive real world implications for the people on the other end.

Yeah, that's exactly what this research looked into and found.

And if you think about it, you know, if you've heard stories of people disclosing and being shut out by their workplace or

being told negative comments from their loved ones you can understand why would you disclose but there are really really important findings from this research on that and there are negative implications so dr luca explained that if people hide their diagnosis they're less likely to seek support they're less likely to continue monitoring their treatment and their disease here's a little bit more of what she told me on this

So as you can hear there, Billie, this idea of stigma really goes beyond being just a social issue.

It shapes how people live with MS, as well as the choices they make about their health, which I think is really important.

And what came through for me significantly in this research is just how important the right supports are.

And that's not just at home, that's at work, that's within the healthcare system and beyond.

Because basically when stigma is reduced and when people have the support they need, we know that can actually make a real difference for people living with MS.

Yes.

Yes.

So you're talking about Billie Meg Maskell.

She's a jewellery designer in Sydney who I chatted to a couple of weeks ago.

Stunning jewellery.