Psychological Aspects of Pain
|
Pain is a good example of the mind-body connection. Whenever we feel pain, our thoughts and emotions influence how much pain we feel and how the pain affects us. When we are depressed, anxious or angry, we feel more pain than when we are calm and relaxed.
The meaning that pain has for us will also affect the level of pain we feel and our level of suffering. Intense and recurrent pain can destroy the fabric of life. When a serious pain problem first occurs, the person frequently must give up all of his or her previous activities and sources of pleasure. For example, he or she may stop working, going out with friends, exercising or working on favorite hobbies.
A person with a serious pain problem may have difficulty sleeping and become irritable and depressed. Narcotic and sedative medications for pain can cloud mental abilities and cause fatigue and depression. Financial problems can develop if work life is altered. Family relationships and friendships may be strained. Many people with pain problems say they find out who their friends are because some people don't want to be around them when they are sick.
Sometimes people with pain problems even have difficulty being believed. Injured workers and people involved with car accidents often find others are skeptical about whether or not their pain is "real." When pain has been caused by the malicious or negligent actions of someone else, the anger and blame that result can often prevent healing. Constant pain may precipitate a spiritual crisis as people wonder "why me?"
Pain causes vicious cycles. Depression and anxiety make pain worse, yet pain causes depression and anxiety. Stress makes pain worse, yet pain is a powerful stressor. Inactivity makes pain worse, yet pain creates a powerful desire to not move the affected area. Lack of sleep makes pain worse, yet it is very difficult to sleep when you have pain. Many people overdo it on their "good days" and then pay for it with a flare-up of pain that lasts for several days in which they are inactive. The frustration and lost time caused by the pain flare-up leads to overdoing it again on the next "good day," creating another vicious cycle.
Psychological treatment should be considered for any intense and recurrent pain problem that has not responded to initial medical and/or surgical treatment.
Psychological treatment provides safe and effective methods that can treat pain directly by reducing high levels of physiological arousal that often aggravate pain. Psychological treatment is usually most effective as one part of a coordinated, multidisciplinary effort including medical approaches, physical therapy and complementary approaches.
|
|
