Chronic Pain isn't Just About the Pain
By Donna Stark
It’s bad enough that millions of people experience chronic pain on a daily basis, but what makes it even worse is that the pain doesn’t only affect the one who is experiencing it. Chronic pain has a way of spreading its arms and grabbing hold of everyone within its grasp. When a body remains in pain for long durations, you can pretty much count on emotional repercussions rearing their ugly heads. No one is safe, and those negative emotions that are spilling out over to loved ones need to be dealt with. If this sounds all too familiar to you, it may be a sign that you need to see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic as fast as you can. Because you certainly don’t want to suffer through pain and you definitely don’t want your relationships to suffer as well.
Reining in Your Negative Emotions
Chronic pain can influence your emotions in many ways, and if you have personally been living with your own pain, or living with someone who is in pain, it’s quite possible you have already experienced some of them. Let’s take a look at how chronic pain can negatively affect those around it.
- Irritable behavior - Being in daily pain can easily cause feelings of anger, impatience, and frustration
- Exclusion - Constant pain will often keep you from participating in various activities; this feeling of exclusion impedes your sense of belongingness
- Judgment - People who suffer from chronic pain sometimes feel as if they are being judged
- Depression - Lack of mobility, continuous pain, and a diminished quality of life can lead to depression
- Anxiety - Pain can cause continuous feelings of helplessness, fear, and confusion
- Disappointment/sadness - Many loved ones experience this from time to time because it’s not always easy to put on a happy face when the one you love can’t participate in activities
- Feeling underappreciated - Some caretakers may feel this way because the one they love isn’t always as sweet as pie to them when pain hits the hardest
- Hopelessness - One could argue which is worse -- living in pain or watching someone you love live in pain; regardless, there is a sense of hopelessness on both sides
Healing Yourself
As if negative feelings aren’t bad enough to deal with, here’s another kicker … they also impede the patient’s healing process. Apart from putting the body in stress, pain will also put the mind in stress as well, and this can cause fatigue, sleep deprivation, lack of appetite, and a poor attitude. All of which can easily cause a patient’s condition to worsen and the vicious cycle to continue.
If you or a loved one is struggling with pain, I would encourage you to head on over to The Joint Chiropractic today! With more than 400 locations nationwide, and no appointment necessary, it’s an easy way to start improving the health of your body and the health of your relationships.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in West Sacramento, Calif.