The chronic pain cycle is a concept that illustrates how physical and emotional factors impact persistent pain. This cycle can be devastating to one’s quality of life and is challenging to break.
The Chronic Pain Cycle
As you try to cope with your condition, your behavior, thoughts, and emotions may follow a common, repeating pattern. Typically, when you experience pain or other symptoms, even simple tasks can feel incredibly challenging to complete. You might experience fear that activity would worsen or increase symptoms leading to more damage.
For these reasons:
You may reduce your physical activity.
Then you may find that a lack of regular physical activity leads you to become out of shape and easily fatigued.
You may think that you will never feel better. You may begin to feel stressed, anxious, or depressed.
This may lead you to have even less interest in or motivation to be active.
Decreased physical activity can lead to increased muscle tension, pain, and symptoms.
Increased pain and symptoms might convince us to further limit movement.
So the chronic pain cycle continues.
How does this cycle impact our emotional wellbeing?
Depression: Chronic illness can trigger depression; depression can be caused by many factors including life changes, pain, stress, medication, and other factors.
Grief: As people receive and process their diagnosis and adjust to a new reality it is likely they will experience elements of grief. Some might feel grief over a change in future plans or grief about becoming chronically ill and living differently.
Isolation: People with chronic illness might feel isolated from others due to symptoms, low-energy, pain, and lifestyle change. Chronic pain can impact relationships and lead to decreased time spent with loved ones. Feelings of isolation might be heightened if the individual is unable to attend work or social events due to their condition.
Self-esteem: Chronic illness can impact our view of ourselves, and feelings of worthlessness, embarrassment, or shame often occur. Sometimes conditions might alter one's physical appearance which can lead to low self-esteem.
Frustration or anger: It can be confusing and frustrating navigating the medical field. Finding supportive practitioners who understand and help is a barrier to many and feelings of frustration can arise. One might also feel angry that their life has been changed by chronic pain.
Hopelessness: Feelings of hopelessness might accompany big life events and changes. One might feel like their condition or symptoms may ever get better or become manageable.
There are so many ways that physical health concerns and emotional/mental health concerns are connected and impact each other. What you feel is valid and the examples above are just a few feelings someone might experience, there are many more emotions that one might experience.
What is chronic pain?
Acute pain lasts less than three months. Acute pain typically originates from a known source such as an illness, injury, or medical procedure. Acute pain can vary from mild to severe and often resolves within a few days, weeks, or months.
Chronic pain lasts longer than three months. Chronic pain can vary from mild to severe and might change from day to day as it can be unpredictable in nature. The source of chronic pain might be known, such as arthritis, but often the cause is unknown.
Other factors that contribute to the chronic pain cycle include:
Unpredictability: Chronic illnesses can be unpredictable in nature, meaning that we can’t rely on our bodies to feel better on certain days.
Reduced activity
Avoidance: Pain can lead to a fear of physical activity, and that fear can lead to avoidance and deconditioning.
Mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety
Lifestyle changes that might help:
Sleeping well
Including diverse and nutritious foods into meals
Exercising regularly
Practicing mindfulness
Limiting substance use
Getting support for co-occurring mental health concerns
Prioritizing your health
Setting boundaries
Developing new skills and habits
When to seek additional support:
Ready to break the cycle? Exploring patterns of fear and avoidance are important, and these factors often drive the chronic pain cycle. If you find yourself falling into the chronic pain cycle consulting a mental health professional is advisable. A therapist can offer tailored interventions for managing chronic health concerns and coping with the emotional toll that chronic illness takes. Additionally, a mental health professional can address other elements of your mental health that might be contributing to these symptoms.
At Balanced Minds Psychology & Wellness we specialize in assisting individuals navigating life’s challenges. To learn more about me and the services I provide, checkout my profile. If you are ready to start the therapy process, contact us today to start a free consultation.
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