Most people experience an illness, injury or surgery that causes pain at some point in life – sometimes severe.  For most, the experience is called acute pain that comes to an end in 90 days or less. But for people with chronic pain, living and coping with pain can become a way of life. 

Chronic Pain Impacts Quality of Life

It’s no wonder that people with chronic pain are four times more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, increased stress and can even have difficulty controlling anger when pain interferes with their ability to live. Pain prevents many people from going to work or school regularly or doing the most basic things – like lifting a load of laundry or playing with their child. 

The inability to be spontaneous or enjoy simple pleasures like taking a walk or dancing at a party can be frustrating and isolating. But the inability to talk to people about how you feel physically and emotionally can add to the full-time stress of coping and living with pain.

If you feel that your pain has more control over you than it should, we urge you to talk openly and directly with your doctor or other pain management professionals.  Tell them you’re missing work; one glass of wine with dinner is now three; that you’re sleeping more but feeling exhausted. These are all byproducts of chronic pain and they can and do have real and material effects on your mental and physical health.

Reach Out for Help

For most of the 51.6 million American adults suffering with chronic pain, there is no silver bullet. But combinations of prescription and non-prescription medications, exercise and physical therapy regimes, acupuncture, chiropractic and dietary supplements – called multi-modal therapy – can help.

If you’re depressed, stressed and even angry about how pain impacts your life, it’s not just your imagination. 20 million other American adults are suffering with you and they most certainly feel your pain.

Mental Health America, the CDC, the US Pain Foundation and many other organizations provide valuable resources for helping you to understand pain and how it affects you. 

Learn More:

The US Pain Foundation https://uspainfoundation.org/pain/mentalhealth/ 

American Psychological Association  https://www.apa.org/topics/pain/management

Chronic Pain and Mental Health  https://mhanational.org/resources/chronic-pain-and-mental-health/#THREE