People who experience chronic pain sometimes feel like no one believes them or understands what it is like for them. It can feel like their friends, family, and even their doctors blame them or think that their suffering is all in their head, especially if they also have a behavioral health diagnosis. At Highland Hospital Behavioral Health in Charleston, West Virginia, we treat people who have mental health and substance use disorders, and we know that there is a strong connection between those behavioral health diagnoses and chronic pain. We believe it is essential for our patients and their loved ones to understand these connections and tools that can help make chronic pain more manageable.
Facts About Chronic Pain and Behavioral Health
It’s important to understand that the pain is very real. 50 million American adults live with chronic pain. It’s generally not something a person is imagining or faking.
- Depression and anxiety are both known to contribute to and intensify physical pain.
- The correlation runs in two directions. People who start with depression are three times as likely to develop chronic pain, and people who have chronic pain are three times as likely as people without chronic pain to develop anxiety or depression.
- People with depression are more likely than other people to experience migraines, back pain, or fibromyalgia
- Some people develop addictions because they are trying to medicate physical pain or mental health disorders. People often self-medicate with alcohol, marijuana, and other substances, trying to numb their physical or emotional pain, but it just causes them more problems. The opioid epidemic largely began with doctors prescribing medications for people with chronic pain. Unfortunately, as people develop a dependence on opioids, their pain tolerance actually becomes lower and the medication becomes less effective, leaving the person in more misery than when they started.
Who Is At Greater Risk for Chronic Pain
The people most likely to experience chronic pain include:
- Older adults
- Women
- American Indian and Alaskan Native people
- Those who live in rural areas
- Unemployed individuals
- Anyone living in poverty
- Caregivers
- Active duty military and Veterans
A Vicious Cycle
Not only do pain and mood disorders feed each other, but they share common triggers:
- The parts of your brain that generate the mental and physical experience of pain are the very same areas that contribute to anxiety and depression.
- The stress a person experiences in their daily life can make chronic pain and mood disorders worse.
- When a person is in pain or depressed, they are more likely to isolate from other people. This isolation can then make the person more depressed and more aware of their pain.
- Depression drains a person of hope. If you don’t think anything is going to help you feel better, it’s easy to give up on addressing your mental or physical health, which can make both worse.
- What do you think of when you imagine someone who doesn’t feel good? They might be curled up in bed or lying on the couch, waiting for their pain to pass. Chronic pain can lead to a fear of movement because moving makes the pain worse. Not moving, however, can actually make pain and mood disorders worse.
What Can You Do About It?
When your understandable inclination is to curl up under a blanket in the dark, that’s when you most need to push yourself to do something different.
Psychotherapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of talk therapy that can help people change their ways of thinking and their behaviors. There are several varieties of CBT, including a version that focuses on pain management. This is one of the most effective methods of managing chronic pain. While it won’t make the pain magically go away, CBT can help people develop additional coping skills and change their awareness of the pain. It can also shift their mindset to be more focused on problem-solving than on their suffering.
Movement
You don’t have to run a marathon, but make sure that you are getting some exercise routinely. Exercise stimulates feel-good chemicals in our brains that can counter the effects of depression and anxiety. It also helps to reduce pain when done safely. Lean into whatever you are able to do and are most likely to continue.
This could be:
- Taking a walk
- Doing yoga,
- Stretching
- Going for a swim
- Maintaining a garden
- Dancing
- Riding a bike
- Anything that helps you safely move your body
Mind-Body Relaxation
Meditation techniques may help alter a person’s perception of their pain and give them the tools to shift their focus onto other things, so that their suffering doesn’t completely take over their thoughts.
Medications
While opioids are not a good strategy for managing chronic pain, treating a person’s mental health with medications may alleviate some of their physical pain by giving them increased ability to pursue connection to other people and stay active.
See a Pain Management Specialist
There are medical professionals whose expertise is in pain management. They can review your medical history and help you develop an individualized plan for managing your pain.
Physical Therapy
Addressing the underlying causes of the pain may make it less uncomfortable for a person to move their body, thus allowing them to increase their movement.
Massage
Alleviating pain through massage may also allow a person to feel some relief and enhance their ability to move without pain.
Prioritize Self-Care
It’s not just a buzzword. Getting enough sleep, eating a well-balanced diet, engaging in hobbies, and finding ways to manage your stress levels will improve your ability to navigate chronic pain and behavioral health concerns.
We Are Here for You
At Highland Hospital Behavioral Health, we are committed to treating each patient as a unique individual. We provide evidence-based, whole-person care that offers significant, lasting improvement to our patients’ quality of life.
