Living With Chronic Pain: Psychological and Emotional Effects
Pain hurts, but chronic pain not only hurts, it also takes a toll on your mental and emotional well-being. Chronic pain can lead to a number of different problems including:
- Loss of enjoyment
- Chronic fatigue
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Headaches
- Irritability
- Anxiety
Both depression and anxiety exacerbate the sensation of pain, and this perpetuates a vicious cycle.
I’ve been suffering from chronic pain since 1999, when I had a car accident that left me with a permanent neck injury and migraines. The accident caused the muscles in my neck to tighten to the point of causing compression in my cervical vertebrae, specifically C1, C2, and C3.
Compression of these three vertebrae causes migraines because the vertebrae put pressure on the occipital nerve. The compression can also cause vertebrobasilar insufficiency - the main symptom of which is dizziness or lightheadedness.
The compression also puts pressure on the thecal sac. This sac surrounds the spinal cord and contains the cerebral spinal fluid that nourishes the brain and spinal cord. It is an extension of the dura mater, a tough skin-like covering that surrounds the brain.
Putting pressure on the sac cuts off the flow of fluid resulting in constriction and dilation of the blood vessels in the brain causing a migraine. Stress inevitably makes the compression worse.
My neck hurts constantly whether I have a migraine or not. On days I have a migraine, the pain in my neck is usually worse than usual or on the left side instead of the right side. Rainy and stormy days make the pain worse, and the winter months can be agonizing.
Some days are better than others, but even on good days I can’t turn my neck all the way to the right or left. I take several medications, but they only take the edge off the pain, making me able to get through my day to day life. In the past 20 years, I can count on one hand the number of days I’ve had without pain and still have fingers left over.
But I'm not the only one suffering from this type of pain. Approximately 116 million Americans also suffer from chronic pain on a daily basis. That’s 116 million people that suffer long-term pain, many of which suffer in silence. The pain itself is stressful and is compounded by any stress life throws at us. This extra stress has an extremely detrimental effect on a person’s overall mental status.
Cognitive Impairment Caused by Chronic Pain
Forgetfulness
Chronic pain can make already forgetful people even more forgetful. I’m an absentminded person to begin with, and the pain only makes it worse.
On days my pain is greater than normal, I do notice I suffer from aphasia, which is an impairment of language. I tend to forget words I would normally be able to think of readily, like medical terminology. Interestingly, aphasia is part of the prodrome I experience prior to a migraine.
Inability to Focus
When the only thing you can focus on is the pain, it’s hard to focus on anything else. Right now, I’m sitting here trying to write this article, and the only thing I can really think about is my pounding headache.
Anyone with chronic pain can tell you the more they try to focus on something else, the greater the pain gets. Many chronic pain sufferers have arthritis which makes sitting for more than even a few minutes painful. I have a hard time sitting to write simply because my neck gets so stiff. I have to get up and walk around to relieve the pain, which breaks my concentration.
Sleep Disturbances
Not only can the pain interfere with getting quality sleep, but the depression can make it difficult to fall and stay asleep. After a day of severe pain, I tend to oversleep because I’m so tired of tolerating the intense pain.
Oversleeping just makes things worse, however. After 8 hours of sleep, my neck is stiffer than a board, and most of the time I wake up with a headache.
People with arthritis tend to have the same problem. Lying in a bed for 8 hours leads to stiff joints because inflammation is able to build up and muscles tighten because they aren’t being used.
Biphasic Sleep for Arthritis
I have found that breaking my sleep into segments has helped to alleviate the stiffness I usually have upon waking. I’ve been following a biphasic sleep schedule, which has given me more time in my day and has also alleviated almost all of the stiffness I used to get after a traditional night’s sleep.
Biphasic sleep consists of two sleep segments. One segment is three or 4.5 hours long, and the second segment is 1.5 hours long. If you'd like more information about the benefits of this type of sleep pattern, you may read my article: Biphasic Sleep Patterns.
Psychological Effects of Chronic Pain
Depression and Anxiety
Chronic pain can break a person’s spirit. The idea of having to live life in pain is enough to depress anyone, but actually doing it can force the person into deep depression. It's essentially daily torture.
The pain makes it difficult to want to do things that were previously enjoyed. Playing with kids or grand-kids, outdoor activities, even household chores can exacerbate the pain forcing the person to avoid these activities. Often times, this makes the person feel even worse because they feel useless.
If they do engage in such activities, the enjoyment once felt is no longer a reality, which leads to further depression.
Many chronic pain sufferers, including myself, are on antidepressants in an effort to prevent the plummet to rock bottom, but it doesn’t always work. The pain inevitably surpasses the ability of the medication to alleviate symptoms.
Some chronic pain sufferers lose their job or are on disability because they can’t work. This not only leads to financial stress and being unable to provide for the family, it also causes feelings of worthlessness, and uselessness making suicide ideation become more commonplace.
Breakdown of Relationships
Many chronic pain sufferers live alone either because a marriage ended, or the pain has forced them to isolate themselves.
People who do not experience this type of pain have a hard time understanding and tolerating those who do. Chronic pain has no visible symptoms, meaning other people can't see that you are suffering. It's not like a broken arm or other visible injuries. Because of this, many people think that chronic pain sufferers are "faking it," and this can lead to further isolation and depression.
Trying to be a parent and living with pain is extremely difficult. The frustration that builds up from constantly being miserable inevitably gets taken out on those closest to you, including your kids.
Since I chose to homeschool my daughter and spend all day with her, she gets the brunt of my frustration (as does my husband) despite my attempts to contain it. This is the case with most families of chronic pain sufferers, and it typically forces the sufferer into isolation, or at least into feeling like they are isolated.
Isolation, or the feeling of it, causes the sufferer to withdraw from all social relationships, not just family ones. Intimate spousal relationships are often severely affected but not necessarily because of a lack of interest in sexual intimacy.
Although it’s hard to think about making love when your head is pounding or you can’t turn your neck at all, there is a definite need to feel intimate with your spouse if just to feel normal. Tolerating chronic pain takes a lot of energy, and most people who suffer with it also suffer from chronic fatigue. This tends to drive a wedge between spouses.
Do You or Someone You Know Suffer with Chronic Pain?
This is just a small list of some of the side effects of chronic pain. The psychological and emotional effects of chronic pain can vary widely from person to person. These effects are tempered by the sufferer's pain tolerance level and their resilience.
The longer you deal with chronic pain, the higher your pain tolerance becomes. On the flip side of this, tolerance to pain medications also becomes higher, making it necessary to take more medication to feel any relief. This, in and of itself, can exacerbate the psychological symptoms.
If you or someone you know suffers from chronic pain, seek help. Contact psychiatrists, doctors or support groups to help you or your loved one prevent the psychological symptoms of chronic pain.
Most importantly, keep in mind that chronic pain can't be seen, but that doesn't make it any less real. Anyone you come in contact with could be suffering chronic pain, and you should treat them accordingly.
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and does not substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, and/or dietary advice from a licensed health professional. Drugs, supplements, and natural remedies may have dangerous side effects. If pregnant or nursing, consult with a qualified provider on an individual basis. Seek immediate help if you are experiencing a medical emergency.
Questions & Answers
I was told the longer you have had chronic pain, the less tolerance you have and the greater the pain is. Is that not true?
It's not quite that simple.
In most cases, the person tends to build a tolerance to the pain, as well as their pain medication. This causes what is known as "breakthrough" pain episodes, which can be much more painful than their usual chronic pain levels. These pain episodes can also last for long periods of time and happen several times a day. They are usually unresponsive to pain medications.
However, in some cases, the person may build a tolerance to their medications and not the pain. This can make it seem like the pain is getting worse when really the pain medications are no longer working effectively.
In rare cases, the person may have developed a tolerance to their pain, but their pain has gotten dramatically worse because their injury or disease has progressed requiring them to take more and more pain medication. This, in turn, can cause them to develop a tolerance to their pain medication resulting in a vicious cycle of chronic pain that is not helped by medication and is getting progressively worse.
Treating chronic pain is an art form, and because of recent changes to opiate prescribing limitations, it is becoming more and more difficult for doctors to be able to manage their patients' pain.
Helpful 34Excellent and totally relatable article. Misery is contagious and that's the main reason we isolate ourselves from friends and family. My heart goes out to those of us who need to raise children while dealing with chronic intractable pain. When after seventeen years of searching for a fix fails, what options are left to go from existing, back to living?
This is a difficult and very personal question, meaning the answer will be different for everyone. But it's all about mindset. When I made the decision to cut ties, my entire mindset and outlook on life changed. No one chooses to be born, we are brought into this world on someone else's whim. That said, I have found life to be a gift, and it's a choice to live yours instead of just going through the motions.
Choosing to really live is easy, but making that happen is the difficult part. When you have lived on autopilot for most of your life, how do you switch gears and change your life path? This is what makes this question difficult to answer. What works for me may not work for anyone else. But in my experience, doing some soul searching is necessary. What do you want out of your life? When you're 65, where do you want to be? What experiences do you want to remember? These answers may not come to you right away, and that's ok. Your brain isn't used to thinking about what it wants, it's been programmed to survive. Take the time to research things you are interested in whether that's traveling to the Netherlands or becoming an author. The sky is the limit, you have a clean slate ahead of you and the choices you are about to make are truly your own. Revel in that.
Make a plan for your life. Plan to do things you want to do and how you will make those things happen. Practicing mindfulness can help you be present in the moment which can help you find your path. To use a cliche, life is what you make it. One of my favorite motivational quotes is: "if you don't like where you are in life, make better choices." Because it's really all about how you perceive your life. Perception is everything, if you choose to see the good things in your life and the things that make you happy, when you look back on your life at 65, you'll smile. But if you choose to dwell on the negative things, at 65 you'll wonder what happened. Make choices the future you will be proud of.
And relish the fact that you made those choices, not your mom.
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© 2012 Melissa Flagg COA OSC
Comments
I have suffered from severe TMJ pain 25 years. I have tried every pain moda;ity including pills, Botox, prozin for nightmares, etc. I am currently on amytriptyline, restoril (30 mg), valium (30mg), thyroid replacement. I have had an extrememly stressful life. My father was a orrible abuser. I became very close friends with a wonderful man who also had to care for his family. He had type 1 diabetes. He was in the Army 7 years, and received wonderful care at the VA in West Palm Beach. Sadly, I lost him on July 26, 2017. We were married on 05/23/15. I am now 69. I swore I would never marry because of the hatred I have for my father. David was different. He was the kindest, most gentle man I ever knew. Losing him was the worst thing that could have happened. We both were animal lovers and I now have 2 wonderful cats. All my life I cared for others, but I have no one, except my cats. I really would prefer to die, but I want to be here for my cats. I do have a wonderful person to take them if something happens to me, but they are so attached to me. I have always been a high achiever. I was my high school Valedictorian, and I have 4 college degrees, 3 of which were free. I became an 8th grade art teacher, and the Director of student art teachers from a nearby University liked the way I taufght art and handled discipline, so he sent me 6 student teachers to mentor. I was awarded with a great deal of free credit at the University. I thought I would like to get a doctorate. After my M.ED. in Adminsitration and Supervision, I was so discouraged with every teacher but one, as they taught me nothing, I did not want to waste anymore free credit, so I switched to Finance, an interest of mine since childhood. I loved it! The work was really tough, but I managed to get a "A" in every class through the graduate level, I have been an excellent scuba diver for 37 years, but I did not go last summer, and I don't think I ever will, as the pain is so bad now. I have been to specialists all over the state of Florida, and they all agree that surgery would not be a possibility for me. I was getting stellate ganglion nerve blocks from a wonderful anesthesioligist. I switched to another pain specialist for Botox. The 1st treatment was like a miracle. I thought I was cured. For 5 months I did not need an a
aspirin. When it started to hurt again, I went back for another treatment. I got the bad news that they thought they had the cure, but you build up a tolerance. He spaced the treatments out to 6 months or more, but it got so it was useless. I went back to my original doctor, as she is treating me with a laser. I have had 3 treatments on my right side, as it is the worst. I thought it was helping, but today was very bad. I see her tomorrow. I have had about a dozen or so surgeries, not related to the TMJ. I amlost died from taking Celebrex, and I had to go to South Miami for acid reflux surgery. I was going to a psychiatrist who gave me 60 mgs. of Restoril, but she will not see me any longer, as it worked so well, I did abuse it. It is the only thing that ever gave me a normal life, and if I needed 1 or 2 during the day, it out me in a good mood and I was not sleepy. Now no pharmacy, nor doctor will give it to me. I could always handle all the problems I was in charge of, but now I am beginning to wonder. I eat healthy, but I have no interest in anything. I have been going to a manipulative osteopath in WPB, FL. for many years. I used to get bad neckaches starting at age 17. At the Facial Pain Center in Gainesville, they did a 2 hour examination of my back and neck. Every vertebrae was damaged. They asked if I was in a bad car accident, but I said "No". They said, "You were abused, right"? I said , "Yes, very badly". The jaw problems started when I was in my 40's. I worked a year as an administrator in the Palm Beach County School District. I loved the job, and the head of the department begged to keep me, but budget constraints forced me to go to an elementary school in a bad neighborhood I hated, and it was only a 1 year job anyway. The Head of the Disability Department thought I just wanted to get out of the classroom, as she no no idea of what TMJ was. I was an outstanding 8th grade art teacher, won every contest I entered my kids into, and was even voted "Teacher of the Year" one year. I had taken out a long-term disability policy, and I had 5 doctor's letters, as this person was going to put me in one of the worst schools in the County. I did not complete my 30 years, but was close at 27.3 years. I retired early, as I was so disgusted with education. It just seem like one disaster after another. I am seeing a psychiatrist who gives me amytriptlene, but I do sleep. My depression just gets worse. I wear the Salon-Pas patches on my jaw in the house, which is most of the time. I just don't care about going anywhere. I wish I was never born.
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I have suffer for 20 years. I have two rods and 6 bolts in my back and a bone fused in my neck. I want to thank you for share your pain with use. I had to take medicine for my depression. I still have really bad day. I don't understand why Doctor are cause use more pain. My doctor has been cutting back on my pain medicine. Because he has cut back on my pain medicine I am suffer more. This isn't ok. There a lot of people who take the medicine as the doctor tell use. They are going after people who all ready suffer and hurting use more.
I have postherpetic neuralgia after a sever case of Shingles on my left chest, back, and side. 17 months of nerve pain, meds, nerve blocks...no relief! I try to stay positive!
Fellow chronic pain / fibro sufferer here, and I share your frustration. My trick is that I do everything in 15 minute increments and alternate standing / walking and sitting throughout the day. I sleep when I need to and that can happen at any time. Often, I sleep better during the day than I do at night. Thanks for the post!
Hi, thank you for posting. I wish you all the best. I can relate very well with what you are going through. It's exactly the same for me though I'm a guy. Sometimes it's helpful just knowing you aren't the only one dealing with these very difficult issues.
Wow, the statements in the article are so very true and are backed up by many people here also. I have been a chronic thoracic and cervical pain sufferer since 1979 caused by a severe concussion my senior year in a football game. The pain didn't start for me till 6 years after the concussion but by then the damage to my discs had already started. You are all correct that chronic pain is an invisible pain and many of my friends and family just don't understand it because they can see the cast on the arm or leg. I lost my marriage of 33 years to chronic pain because my wife couldn’t understand why I couldn’t do the social things with others anymore like I used to do. As the pain slowly began controlling what I could do, I established my comfort zone like many people do and that is where I spent most of my time. Pain is so exhausting and unrelenting.
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DOM, Thanks for article. I also suffer from severe chronic pain. What I am wondering is how can you oversleep after a day of severe pain? if I have a day of severe pain (frequent), it does not relent enough at night to "sleep in". However, I also don't take any pain cocktails and am beginning to wonder if I am receiving diminshing returns from resistance. The rest of me is beginning to fall apart, secondary infections, etc. due to pain and related parasomnia.
Oh, yes. What is it about organizing that is so calming? Must be that control thing kicking in. lol
I'm sure things will be fine. You're doing all you can to help yourself. I've no doubt circumstances will come together to provide some opportunities for you.
I like your new profile pic. Very nice. Are you keeping well, then?
Well I looked up Opthamology and then said, "I knew that." I see one every two years for diabetes. I must have a foggy brain now, closer to 'theta' than 'Beta' having just awoke or have I?
Chronic pain is a recent study I seek while the cause of the search is Fibromyalgia. I have an empathic sense and having read so much in a continuous sitting and my Valentine a person with that diagnosis it is dear to my heart.
Oddly, back in '78 I experienced a compression fracture of C5, C6, C7. The natural curve was lost as well of those 7. The fun part was the shared experience of both retrograde and anterior grade amnesia. The latter recovered with a week or so and the former a bedfellow for 34 years.
Incorporating chiropractic care beginning in '93 through '07 some of that curve, flexibility, and cause of calcification was lessened. The headaches for me dissipated becoming a thing of the past. I stopped that care in '07 for odd causes.
In 2012 I injured that neck once again. The resultant exam and physical therapy was for the muscles and those 7 now like a ruler being straight instead of curved. Those original lower 3 now have disc degeneration and as stated by the medical examiner, "now fusing nicely."
This year I have returned to my former chiropractor and we are on a mission of a sort. The exciting part was concurrent to this more recent injury the effect of Spontaneous Recovery regarding the 34 years of retrograde amnesia.
The effect a very trying year of confusion trying to put new memories in order while understanding newly discovered joys and of course truths not known for so many years.
I was essential a mess and raised havoc for those with no understanding of that phenomena. I'm still sorting things out, yet psychologically have a 'better grip' so to speak. My therapist needed a few breaks from me along the way it seemed. Joking with the pun of breaks. I still have not memory of the incident with the absence of a few days now, rather than a few weeks.
A long comment and I do apologize. For your pain based on the experience I have learned through novice research and observations is seeking the theory of soft tissue memory as related to the injury. Again a long intro to that little thought.
I did some research tying chiropractic care with depression and pain back in '97 - '98 and latter in 01' - 03'. A footnote is I have a diagnosis of Bipolar type I with psychotic features. Any hoot. That research led to the practiced care of chiropractic or of convention osteopathy (O.D.) regarding the soft tissue corresponding to those nerve pathways of varying cervical 'outlets' of the conduits of pain receptors.
Another view may be the simple communication of the neural network and the corresponding conduits through the spinal network to those outlying areas where pain is actually experienced within the soft tissue, yet the transmission is lost through nerve damage somewhere.
What I theorize or may have been by others and just not discovered yet is pain is experienced at point 'C' yet no pathway exists for it, therefore pain is experienced at point 'B' or point 'A' within the neural network. A false indicator sort to speak or the wrong place may be treated with no end result.
In essence the care and nurturing of those areas does two things - relives memory of tragedy and creates opportunity of healing. However, overwhelming may be a cause of psychological pain affecting the memory of the physical as that of experience relived.
Or, in other words there is a back or neck pain, which holistically is more easily accommodated by the 'being' or the inclusive body, mind, soul, and spirit as the physical pain allowing for that root function of self-preservation of another of those four elements of the holistic self.
Though of pain it is, that of the physical may be much more bearable than that of any one or combination of the other three. Or, little doses of psychological pain over a longer term through physical experience may offer healing. The end result is the nurture and healing of the soul affecting the spiritual or non-material spirit of 'self' while in a state of 'life' so to speak.
Again, I offer an apology while asking forgiveness for a long response to a very enlightening hub article and the corresponding comments. I have been known to at times comment of length and am seeking to curb that. I thank you for this opportunity to offer two cents worth of personal experience.
tim
Sorry to hear about your chronic neck pain. So many people can trace the beginning of their chronic pain to an accident, usually a road traffic accident, but I have reason to believe that the accident is merely the trigger and not the true underlying cause. I wonder what you would think of my hub on chronic pain? I'd be very interested in your feedback and input. Thank you for sharing your personal story.
Your hub was very inspiring to me. I have been suffering from lower back pain and nerve pain in the feet for over a year now. I've been in physical therapy which helps a lot and some weeks I feel like I'm finally going to recover only to be met with another curve ball and the pain comes back to remind me it's still not over. That part of the cycle is so depressing.
I'm not on pain pills either although I have taken a number of muscle relaxant which don't take pain away but help with the spasms. Gabapentin is helping with my feet too. I want to believe I will fully recover one day but at the same time I need to accept that it may be a chronic problem.
God bless you and I hope that you one day find permanent, sustained relief.
Ive been suffering since 2002 from lower back pain. And now have upper thorascic problems that are worse than the lower! Lost my job, family, all of it. Now 10 yrs later im miserable! The severe pain and frustration have never been worse. Your article helps me a lot. Actually printed it to help to get the doctors to maybe understand me better. I wish there was a like button!
The pain is overwhelming, the Psychological trauma is indescribable. I once was a man who had it all! I worked in the construction industry, many years as a union carpenter making close to 100,000$ a year. Now i get a SSI check for 650 a month. As you can expect every aspect of my life has changed for the worst. Instead of having fun, Im forced to spend hours on the phone trying to get help, trying to get to the doctors that will still treat you, and have to deal with the ever present feeling that your being pegged as a drug user. Being denied, being lied to by doctors and ins. The frustration is almost unbearable.
And a trip to er is just to sit and then have the doctor tell you to contact your primary, waste of time. Primary tells you to look for pain management, yet when you call, PM ask why your calling and not doctor. Ins telling you to do this and that and the doctor says your ins needs to do that. I just want to scream!
One doctor says you need to reduce your pain meds, but gives you no other options to reduce the pain where I can reduce meds. If they could just get it so it wasn't so intense I could reduce. Despite already dropping down from 3 60mg morph to 2 to i haven't had any in 7 days. from 6 Vicodin 750 to 4 a day.
Not to mention the muscle relaxers, 1 a day, BP meds, anxiety and depression meds and one more for low testosterone.
I can't see doing this for much longer.
Something has to change, Maybe the lottery would help? Could afford to pay cash and Id bet they'd be willing to do anything I ask. But until then, im just another lost soul sliding down lifes drain.....
I think anyone living with a chronic condition will recognise your message, which is an important one. It's easy to get slightly dismissive - oh yeah, we know you're always in pain, never mind, now what was I going to say? It's old news, or everything that can be said has been said. If a hug helps, please have a big one from me.
Wow, I had no idea you suffered with this. :( This hub is excellent however, and will shed light for others who may not understand what it is like to live in so much pain. Great work here.
Thank you for this very important information.
I have recently been diagnosed with fibromyalgia so this article came at just the right time for me! It is exhausting physically and mentally. I actually just quit my job and will be staying home to cyber school my kids. You expressed how I have been feeling for a LONG time but I didn't seek medical care until the neropthy in the predominantly left side of my body and the excruciating pain in my elbow joints started. Thanks for an informative piece.
Hello Daughter of Maat. This is an awesome, informative hub and I'm glad you mentioned the cognitive effects that accompany chronic pain conditions, psychological effects, how living with chronic pain issues affects relationships, and more. A lot of times, these aren't given much attention. I am lucky for the nature of the chronic pain conditions I have because they're quite manageable so long as I take precautions and look after myself. I usually feel incredible pain over many days only if I have failed to look after myself for a while due to stress, distractions (stress lol), or some major traumatic event in my life (death in the family, an accident - my own or among friends and family, etc) and if I am taken out of my regular environment where I don't have my usual safety items and routine.
I understand how others have conditions they can't escape as well as I can and am always interested in understanding how people build more coping plans, skills, etc. Mostly, I believe that we all need to honor invisible illness much more and BELIEVE then respond appropriately to people when they say "I am in pain," because pain isn't something we can usually see. This is a really nice article and I'm glad it's on the web for everyone to see! Thank you for sharing. Take care of yourself! :)
Wow, DOM, great hub! Towards the end of my mom's life, she had chronic pain. The docs gave her a self medicating morphine drip that made her pain bearable, but she was never comfortable. It must have been a relief for her to finally pass on.
DOM....I am so appreciative you have taken on this topic. Individuals having to live with and deal with pain....chronic pain, has become epidemic and I don't believe medical science can keep up with it.....although I realize they are always trying and researching. Thank you for a very well-done hub on this subject. UP+++
Wow. I'm sorry you have to deal with such pain in your life. I pray to the God and Goddess that your pain will eventually cease.
Same here. I've got loads of half-finished articles and short stories sitting in various folders. I start off well enough and then (snapping my fingers) the words just stop. But I am determined to finish them before I start another thing. If I run out of steam on one, I'll move on to the other. It's very slow progress, but it is progress.
At the end of the day though which would you prefer sun or rain? I understand about the creativity, but can you really be at your best when you're hurting? I'll take sun any day though, granted, it is a big distraction.
I am sorry to hear that you are going through all of this. I can imagine how painful a migraine headache must be. I suffer from tension headaches and when I get them I feel like I'm going to pass out. You might want to consider getting a chair massage. These are really good to alleviate pain on your neck, shoulders and lower back with a professional masseuse of course.
You never cease to run out of things to write about. Does homeschooling your daughter inspire you to write? Are some of you hubs actually lesson plans?
Btw, I think it's a combination of both pressure and humidity. After three weeks of almost constant rain, the sun has finally come out. My joints have stopped aching, my asthma has eased up and my hay fever is back under control.
Now that you mention it Daughter it does indeed. Maybe its the air pressure?
Daughter you and i both suffer from chronic pain and sleep probs. The constant battle with pain would eventually wear a person down to no quality of life so thank goodness there are medical alternatives to help alleviate it to certain degrees. Keep up the good fight and Alastar certainly empathizes with you. Will be interested to see next what your pain relief methods are.
Very helpful on Vit C dosage. Thanks!
Hmm, didn't know or forgot about that about Vit C. Will be interested to read if more than what I'm taking would help. :)
Hey, that is probably true as to why I need the ibuprofen--the inflammation! I think I knew that once but was forgetting (does that tell you something?). I will go look at your biphasic sleep hub--that may be appropriate for me. :)
Yeah D. I left out psychic inhibitions has being one of the symptoms on purpose. But once you beat the pain (it can be done), the mental aspect takes care of itself. As herbalists we believe illness is 80% mental and 20% physical. Looking forward to your next hub. Shalum
Right, it does not help the FM pain in the muscle fascia. Although the magnesium I take helps a lot with stiffness and muscle cramps. I still can't do without the ibuprofen for some reason. The 5HTP has reduced my insomnia quite a bit. I get to sleep within 30 mins now, instead of 60-90, and only can't back to sleep in the middle of the night if I'm in quite a bit of pain from my spine.
Look forward to your next hub ! :) I am fortunate in that ibuprofen, though it is not supposed to, helps some. Otherwise, 3000 mg/day of magnesium malate really helps. About 4 yrs ago I took for about two years an amino acid supplement specific for FM and it really helped get rid of a large amount of the pain. I have a hub on it. Still dealing with the CFS/ME though, too. Have been trying 5HTP lately to get better sleep. (Have a hub on that, too.)
You did a really fabulous job of writing this hub considering the difficulty you described. I'm sure you have expressed the frustration of many people who are in a similar situation. I could tell you were really writing from the heart, and I'm sure this hub will prove to be one that is well searched for and read. Voted up and useful.
Hello DOM. Not suffering from CP myself, but having clients that have/are, I can imagine... My wife and I are herbal practioners and when I read your hub there were a few things brought too mind from those experiences that I did not see mentioned. If you don't mind here are a few of those thoughts. Poor nerve health we often found brought on a host of physical disorders, Parkinson's, Alzheimers,inflammatory meningitis, loss of or impaired muscular movement and control. The nervous system also affects mental balance. Weak nerves result in neurosis, tension, and anxiety. Extreme nervousness and irritability, the inability to relax (usually back pain), with lack of energy, chronic headaches and stiff necks, dizziness, heart palpitations often with high blood pressure may mean nerve health conditions. Some had periodic numbness to various parts of the body, hands and fingers may itch, toes may "go to sleep" or tingle. Temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) was found to occur on occasion (an umbrella term coverng acute or chronic pain especially in the muscles) may cause jaw pain, dizziness or headaches. Some had double vision or a blind spot in the visual field. Beyond damage from stroke, MS, a blow or an accident like a whiplash injury or a pinched nerve, poor circulation, thyroid dysfunction all can figure in. Too many chemicalized foods, especially sugars, unrelieved mental or emotional stress, metabolic imbalance from an infection may be involved. We can even go as far as adding bottle fed babies have close to a 50% higher chance than breast-fed babies of developing neurologic disorders. What we have used with success, I will wait for your next hub to discuss, for we are always looking for more and possibly better treatments too add to our practice, and after 13 yrs I have no doubt you will be more than capable. I truly hope I haven't bored or encroached in any way.
Your hub has expressed the anguish of person with chronic pain wonderfully.Most of us including the medical fraternity fail to identify with psychological effects of chronic pain.
As one with Fibromyalgia/CFS/ME it is nice to see an article like this on the effects chronic pain has on functioning. Will go take a look at your CF article.
Daughter of Maat, your hub informs how serious is the chronic pain disease. In fact, it is one of the major health problem of any society. We need more basic and clinical research to understand what exactly causes chronic pain and how to control it.
Morning Daughter Of Maat.
Having Chronic Osteomyelitis myself I can relate to your struggle against your pain.
All those pills and medicament tend to get on your nevers at times.
I'm one of the lucky ones that has a special method and that is my wife. She helps me through my hard times.
I won't start saying that "I hope you get well soon". I understand the problems you are going through and can only wish that the pain is a little easier.
Your hub hits every corner of the problems with pain. Each of us goes through it differently, but the one thing we all have in common is that it hurts like hell.
Have a nice weekend with a little less pain.
LOL Ghaelach
Need I say, I know exactly what you mean. I think the worst part is not being able to talk to anyone about it.
Much of my chronic pain is invisible to the outside world. It's not like having a broken leg. There is a visible cause to the pain and people tend to be more understanding about why you can't get around like you used; why you seem more down.
But I, like you I imagine, carry the pain inside; hidden from the outside world. We can talk about it (boy, can we talk about it) but we tend to get written off as whiners. I think a great deal of the isolation you speak of comes not just from the debilitating effects of chronic pain but from the attitude of people outside our immediate family.
Outsiders seem to think that because we carry on as normal (what choice do we have?) that we are exaggerating our pain and we should just suck it up. (Again, what choice do we have.) However, just because it can't be seen, doesn't make it any less real.
And now, if you'll excuse me, I have to take some codeine and paracetamol. I have done something to my shoulder and the pain is now gripping the back of my neck and giving a headache. As this medication is quite potent, I will most likely be insensible for the rest of the day.
You have a good one.
Voted up, interesting and shared.
I can so relate to your words DOM and look forward to reading your future hub articles on this debilitating subject, especially on how you cope and manage chronic pain without taking pain meds.
I am struggling with a major bone-pain flare-up at the moment (two weeks+) and am just about at my wits end fighting this particular pain-demon without popping prescribed pain meds.
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