The sensation of pain is necessary for your overall health. Pain signals alert you to injury, or physical disorders so you can treat the condition or heal as soon as possible. Without pain, ailments could go unnoticed until a small problem possibly turns into a life-threatening condition. While pain responses help you survive, the presence of this unpleasant sensation for prolonged periods can significantly impact your quality of life and mental well-being.
Long-term pain, also known as chronic pain, adversely affects every aspect of your life. In addition to causing perpetual physical discomfort, chronic pain’s psychological effects negatively impact your mental health. Many studies have found an association between chronic pain and mental health disorders.
Below, we’ll discuss how chronic pain affects the mind:
Chronic Pain Causes Depression
Chronic pain often leads to immobility and activity limitations. When experiencing physical discomfort, many times you can no longer perform the activities necessary for your enjoyment and everyday life. If your daily routine includes physically exerting activities like bike riding or playing sports with your friends and suddenly you are unable to participate because of chronic pain, you will almost certainly feel sad and lonely and if the condition continues it can lead to feelings of hopelessness and may even lead to thoughts of suicide. The emotional and psychological effects of chronic pain have long-lasting effects. They degrade your quality of life, erode your self-esteem, lead to weight gains and leave you with feelings of despair and depression.
There is a strong link between chronic pain and depression. Research has shown that up to 85% of patients with chronic pain suffer from severe depression. A strongly supported hypothesis for this phenomenon suggests that low levels of neurotransmitters such as dopamine and norepinephrine in the individual’s central nervous system contribute to high incidents of depression in chronic pain patients.
According to an article written by Dr. Mary Harding titled “Suicide Risk Assessment and Threats of Suicide”, people who suffer from chronic pain are at least twice as likely to commit suicide as compared to those without.
It’s crucial that, if you are suffering from the psychological effects of chronic pain that you talk about your feelings to close family, friends, or a therapist.
Chronic Pain Provokes Anxiety
The negative mental and psychological effects of chronic pain trigger anxiety disorders in patients suffering from prolonged physical discomfort. People suffering from chronic pain incessantly worry about employment, personal finances, healthcare costs, and finding a safe and permanent pain relief solution to relieve their discomfort. Even when patients are not currently experiencing pain, they live in constant fear of the pain returning.
Chronic pain negatively affects the mind of patients by instilling fear, stress, and anxiety into their psyche. Studies have shown that up to 70% of the chronic pain population suffers from an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are the second most common adverse psychological effect of chronic pain in patients.
Chronic Pain Triggers Insomnia
The average adult needs seven to nine hours of sleep every night to function optimally. Sufficient sleep is essential for decreasing inflammation and reducing pain. It is during deep sleep that the body works to heal and repair injuries. In chronic pain patients, the physical discomfort makes it difficult for individuals to fall and stay asleep, leading to a declining state of health. Sporadic or persistent pain keeps people awake at night, leading to sleep disorders and insomnia.
Insomnia is another psychological effect of chronic pain in patients. In addition to the pain, the constant fear, worry, and anxiety of insomnia further contributes to restless sleep in chronic pain populations. An estimated 90% of patients that attend pain management centers suffer from insomnia. The lack of proper sleep exasperates the cause of chronic pain, thereby impairing mental and cognitive function.
If you suffer from insomnia, talk to your doctor and consider setting up a calming sleep routine. There are many natural sleep supplements that could aid in your endeavor to get a solid night’s sleep. If chronic pain is causing your insomnia, do your homework and investigate natural pain relieving remedies.
Chronic Pain Generates Fatigue
The adverse emotional and psychological effects of chronic pain can cause feelings of extreme fatigue and exhaustion. People with fatigue find it very difficult to perform even the simplest of tasks due to feelings of weakness and a constant lack of energy.
Fatigue causes a lack of productivity, leading to decreased performance at work and financial loss. As much as 75% of chronic pain patients report feelings of extreme fatigue. Fatigue greatly increases feelings of depression and anxiety as it lowers the individual’s self-esteem, worsening the psychological effects of chronic pain.
Chronic Pain Impairs Memory and Concentration
Another way of how pain can affect the mind is its ability to impair your focus and concentration. Chronic pain not only causes physical discomfort, depression, and fatigue but it also negatively impacts your attention and memory. A study conducted by the University of Alberta found that two-thirds of patients suffering from chronic pain could not hold and store information in their minds. The conclusion is that chronic pain not only has an adverse effect on your mental health, italso weakens your cognitive function.
Use SOLIS to Relieve Your Chronic Pain
The psychological effects of chronic pain can be debilitating and lessen the quality of your life. Treating chronic pain with medication produces a long list of physical and psychological side effects. If you want to safely relieve your chronic pain, we can help. SOLIS is a drug-free, FDA-cleared pain relief system that alleviates your pain within minutes. Get your SOLIS device now to restore joy and happiness in your life.