Living with chronic pain can be exhausting and overwhelming. It’s an unpredictable, silent illness that takes its toll physically and emotionally.
At any point in time, you can get sent on a rollercoaster ride of emotions with guilt, anger, grief, agitation, and loneliness. It’s a heavy weight to carry and it can be easy to get beaten down by all of it.
Managing life with chronic pain isn’t always easy. Oftentimes there are co-occurring diagnoses or symptoms that create an even larger uphill battle. When it comes to mental health disorders like anxiety, there exists a chicken-and-egg situation. Anxiety can cause the onset of chronic pain, and chronic pain can trigger anxiety.
Chronic Pain Defined
Most people have an understanding of the general pain term. An acute instance with momentary discomfort. Headaches. A stubbed toe. A pulled muscle. Even a broken bone. Most people can almost feel that pain with just a mention. What isn’t always understood is chronic pain.
Pain that is severe and lasts longer than twelve weeks despite seeking treatment can be classified as chronic pain. In many instances, the timeframe can be significantly longer.
Conditions that can cause chronic pain include: arthritis, fibromyalgia, migraines, trigeminal neuralgia, back pain, complex regional pain syndrome, and irritable bowel syndrome.
Anxiety Caused by Chronic Pain
With chronic pain, there are opportunities for anxiety hiding around every corner. People with chronic pain are three times more likely to develop anxiety.
When you suffer from chronic pain, going down the rabbit hole of fear is easy. Fear that the pain is going to interfere with the present-day activity. Fear that it will disrupt future plans or progress to more severe issues. You may also find concern for your financial matters and your safety.
Worrying about the future, unknown, and uncontrollable things can trigger severe anxiety. If this fear and anxiousness persists, it can interfere with your participation in social activities or cause you to reconsider leaving your home outside of necessary reasons.
There is also a level of anxiety when you worry about the medical aspect of your chronic pain. When pain persists for so long, you may begin to worry that your healthcare provider will deem you a medication seeker. Or worse, you’ll be told you’re making up your symptoms.
Chronic Pain Fueled by Anxiety
High levels of stress are harmful to anybody, healthy or not. Aside from affecting your nervous system, it can impact your bones and joints, muscles, stomach and gastrointestinal system, and even skin. Your nervous system helps maintain proper body functioning, but if it becomes overstimulated, physiological responses can follow.
Anxiety causes your body to release stress hormones, which then trigger a stress response. Your body produces increased cortisol and adrenaline into your bloodstream, resulting in an inflammatory response. Stress also causes tension throughout the body, which can lead to a sore back or neck and headaches. All of these can be causes of chronic pain.
Coping with Both Anxiety and Chronic Pain
With anxiety and chronic pain coinciding with each other, management of one can be as equally important as managing the other. Stress and emotional responses make pain worse. Pain flare-ups can make anxiety kick in hard.
The world today can be very overstimulating and wreak havoc on your system. A day without stressors is like a pipe dream. Having healthy coping strategies and a solid medical management plan should be a priority focus. If you’re struggling with chronic pain, anxiety, or both, reach out to us today for some guidance.