Chronic Pain And Depression – Finding Ways To Cope

If your chronic pain has changed your mood, your mindset, and your overall outlook, you are not alone. Research suggests that an estimated 30-50% of chronic pain patients also suffer from depression and anxiety, and for justifiable reasons.

Chronic Pain Isn’t Just a Physical Condition

Simply put, chronic pain isn’t just a physical condition; it’s an emotion condition as well. Chronic pain has a significant influence on your ability to enjoy your everyday life and participate in daily activities. The result is a collection of factors that can easily lead to a mood disorder or psychological condition.

There are several reasons why chronic pain and depression are linked, but there are a few significant contributors to this connection, which includes the following:

A decrease in sleep, or a decrease in the quality of sleep
A decrease in physical exercise and active lifestyle
Fear and frustration about chronic pain, which heightens as the condition continues
Guilt at an inability to do activities and work that the patient used to enjoy
Guilt at moodiness and inactivity, and how it affects loved ones
Feeling of hopelessness when there is not an apparent cure or concrete way to address the situation

Does any of the above sound familiar? If you’re dealing with both chronic pain and depression, then the chances are that these contributors apply to you.

Chronic pain essentially leads to depression in two distinct ways. There’s the physical toll that stems from a lack of sleep and a reduction in activity.

And then there’s the mental toll that comes from living with pain on a long-term basis. You feel bad about your inactivity and how your condition affects your loved ones, and you feel hopeless that there doesn’t seem to be an immediate way to mitigate the pain.

How to Move Forward

If you fear that you suffer from chronic pain and depression, then consider the following ways that you can address these linked conditions:

See an Interventional Pain Management Specialist as Soon as Possible

An interventional pain management specialist can get to the root cause of your chronic pain, and offer effective treatments that work, and that can get you back to your old self, faster.

Talk to a Counselor or Therapist to Talk About Your Pain

You may not always feel comfortable talking with family members, friends, or co-workers about your condition. Seeking a counselor or therapist that has experience dealing with chronic pain patients can allow you to vent your frustrations and share your concerns in a safe setting.

Join a Support Group

Remember, you are not alone! Millions of Americans suffer from chronic pain. As a result, there are several online and in-person support groups available so you can talk to folks who are going through the same things that you are.

Contact Us Today

Remember, above all else that you don’t just have to live with your pain. Schedule your appointment with an experienced interventional pain management specialist today and take the first steps of getting back to your regular, happy self.

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Chronic Pain and Depression – Finding Ways to Cope

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An estimated 30-50% of patients with chronic pain also develop depression and / or anxiety disorders. Here’s what causes this connection, and what you can do to get back to your old self.