Can Psychology Help Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain lasts longer than six months and alters how you live your daily life.

Does Anyone Understand?

One of the most challenging aspects of chronic pain is sharing your experience with a sympathetic ear. This is certainly not due to any shortage of listeners. It is more likely because of the innate desire for others to offer simple solutions to complex problems. Being a good listener is now synonymous with providing an epiphany that rivals those offered by actors in a scripted drama.

Chronic pain is irrespective of gender. A man or woman can succumb to it. From the 6-month incubation stage of chronic illness through the first year or two, many patients exhaust resources in a quest for both conservative and experimental solutions. Then the realization sinks in that this level of pain is more likely a new way of life.

Layman’s suggestions of teas, vegetable smoothies, or vitamins to improve your quality of life diminish in credibility. Shielding yourself from the onslaught of well-meaning solutions results in an absence of outlets for compassion, empathy, and meaningful coping mechanisms.

Crescendo of Remedies

Dissatisfaction with medical care usually stems from incongruent goals. As a patient, you want to eliminate pain. A physician strives for a tolerable level. Medical doctors, neurologists, psychologists, acupuncturists, physical therapists, fitness trainers, and chiropractors each offer remedies to reduce pain.

When chronic pain profoundly affects psychological and cognitive interactions, it constitutes a serious, separate disease. Psychologists train to assist with the mental and emotional aspects of pain management.

Patients’ threshold for risky remedies increases about the duration of pain. A former protestor of opiates now seeks stronger prescriptions. One who originally proclaims, “Anything but surgery” becomes an avid researcher of the latest experimental surgeries. As a patient, you may even begin investigating alternative non-evidence-based treatments.

Decrescendo of Emotions

A mild-mannered patient can begin having uncharacteristic outbursts. A delightful sense of humor turns sardonic.

A once vivacious and active person becomes withdrawn as a sense of vulnerability or hopelessness grows—sometimes inversely proportionate with financial decline. Pain catastrophizing is a term describing the magnification of pain symptoms.

Pain transcends physical sensation. There are biological, psychological, and emotional factors. Furthermore, chronic pain can cause feelings such as anger, worthlessness, sadness, and anxiety.

Psychological treatment includes relaxation techniques, rewiring thoughts of impending doom from pain, building new coping skills, and addressing any anxiety or depression that may accompany your pain.

Weighing Risks and Benefits

Medical doctors do not always accurately decipher when anxiety, depression, or physical symptoms are motivating patient complaints. In harmony with the vow to “do no harm,” physicians must monitor risks versus benefits when recommending remedies.

Invasive therapies are generally not considered until after an individual endures many months or years of unsuccessful non-invasive approaches. Occasionally, during this light-handedness, a medical condition is misdiagnosed and gets worse. Meanwhile, the patient adapts to increasing limitations.

A disparity between treatment and results is commonly seen with chronic neck or back pain. Doctors may recommend ineffective over-the-counter remedies or a temporary pain-relieving prescription. This might eventually work its way up to cortisone injections or nerve blocks.

The human spine supports the structures of the entire body. It also houses a significant portion of the central nervous system. A surgical mistake can potentially worsen the condition by increasing pain or causing paralysis. When the odds for improvement are no greater than 50 percent, it is safer to recommend exercise, physical therapy, or psychiatric care.

Good doctors know how to perform surgery. Better doctors know when to perform surgery. The best doctors know when not to perform surgery.

Chronic pain sufferers often find relief with a support group of patients coping with similar ailments. Those experiencing overwhelming chronic pain at a level that hinders normal daily activities may consider a mental health professional.

A psychologist can both consult and prescribe medication. Do not minimize the value of this avenue of pain management to feel better.