For thousands of people, pain is a keen reminder of an injury or
illness that can lead to equally disabling mental suffering. Out of fear,
people whose systems are already compromised may feel their pain greater
than they need to, causing an emotional reaction that keeps them feeling
worse.
"Pain itself, and the ensuing disruption in normal lifestyle, can
lead to depression," says Dr. Michael E. Robinson, Associate
Professor of Clinical and Health Psychology at the University of Florida's
(UF) College of Health Professions. "When people feel helpless and
hopeless their pain is more intense."
In fact, the emotional effects of chronic pain-including depression,
anger and anxiety-may do more damage to long-term health than the actual
physical degree of discomfort, report UF researchers in recent issues of
Cranio and The Clinical Journal of Pain.
In studies of patients with chronic facial pain, UF researchers found
that the psychological effects of being in pain were more disruptive to
patients' daily lives than the pain itself.
Pain involves both emotional and physical components. There is a
relationship between tissue damage, a person's emotional state, and
previous experiences with painful conditions and the meaning the person
gives to the painful sensation. People who sought treatment through the
College of Dentistry's Parker E. Mahan Facial Pain Center, reported that
due to their pain, routine tasks such as speaking on the telephone,
eating, taking medications and carrying on a conversation, had became
daily hassles.
"Communication with the world around you becomes stressful because
it hurts," Robinson said. "These incidents may seem small in
isolation, but the constant needling can become a major life problem.”
Researchers compared the degree to which people felt pain from similar
injuries based on what the individuals thought the pain meant. Those who
did not place a major consequence on the pain, did not feel as great an
intensity of pain as those who thought their pain indicated a
life-threatening illness. Do not make the mistake, though, of thinking
that this higher intensity of pain is any less real, or that the feeling
of depression and anxiety you may see in your loved one, is not real. The
person truly feels the pain and fear, and the depression.
Pain is a complex disorder with many facets. The best way to diagnose
and manage pain is through a team approach involving health care
professionals of various disciplines who can look at the patient's
condition from several different perspectives
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