Chronic pain, a persistent and often misunderstood condition, affects millions worldwide. Unlike acute pain, which is temporary, chronic pain endures for months or even years, significantly impacting a person’s quality of life. This persistent discomfort can impair a person’s ability to work, socialize, and maintain relationships.
In my practice, I often work with people who struggle with chronic migraines. I also work with a significant number of people who struggle with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), as well. The invisible nature of chronic pain often leads to misconceptions, exacerbating feelings of isolation and frustration for those affected. Beyond the physical toll, people can experience anxiety, depression, struggles within relationships — chronic pain can impact the day-to-day and sexual functioning of relationships — and an overall diminished quality of life.
The Emotional Impact
Living with chronic pain can have a significant impact on your emotional wellbeing. For example, you may experience feelings of frustration, anger, anxiety, or depression as you struggle to cope with persistent discomfort, as well as the threat of the next occurrence.
It is also common for relationships to suffer as partners may struggle to fully understand the extent of your chronic pain. Many have been told things such as, “Your migraine is just a headache,” or, “It’s all in your head,” or even, “You would stop getting them if you really wanted to,” and so on. These kinds of comments can leave people feeling ashamed, misunderstood, angry, and alone as they continue to struggle.
Common Myths Associated With Chronic Pain
If Your Pain is Invisible, You Must Be Fine
Chronic pain often lurks beneath the surface, invisible to the naked eye. You may appear fine externally, but internally, you’re battling constant discomfort. This disconnect between appearance and reality can lead to harmful misconceptions and judgments. People might assume that you can’t suffer that much if you don’t look like you’re in pain. These kinds of assumptions not only come from people out in the world, but often even from close family members.
If You Can Function, It Must Not Be Bad
Another pervasive myth is that if you can work or attend events, your pain can’t be severe. However, people with chronic pain often push through immense discomfort to maintain some semblance of normalcy. Every activity requires careful consideration, knowing there’s a risk of the pain coming on or getting worse. The ability to function doesn’t negate the constant presence of pain. For the most part, people with chronic pain have essentially learned to function in spite of their pain.
The Idea that Chronic Pain is Only Physical
Chronic pain’s impact goes beyond the physical. It affects your mental health, intimate relationships, sex life, social relationships, and overall quality of life. It is important for people who struggle with chronic pain to not only receive support in these areas, but also that their supports are able to understand the ripple effect of chronic pain beyond the physical.
Chronic Pain is Medical Only
This is a myth that doesn’t get enough attention. While some elements of migraines and certain other types of chronic pain can have medical bases, chronic pain is often caused and exacerbated by body responses to emotional struggles. For example, the impacts of old traumas carried with you over time, or recent or ongoing traumas can all have a significant impact on the mind and body. Anxiety, depression, and stress can also cause the body to physiologically respond with debilitating migraines, GI symptoms, back pain, and more. Unless there is a clearly identified medical basis for one’s chronic pain, chronic pain has often shown to be interconnected between medical and mental health.
Living With and Working Through Chronic Pain
One of the things that people struggle with the most with chronic migraines is that they never know when the next migraine is going to strike. This goes to show that even the pain-free days can often hold the most anxiety, while the painful days are the most physically debilitating. Either way, it is all emotionally and physically exhausting and draining for people who struggle with chronic pain.
Much of what I do in my practice for chronic migraines and pain is help people work through the emotional side of the struggle — both the emotional impacts of dealing with chronic pain, as well as what may be exacerbating it on a deeper level. I have seen people whose chronic pain has mostly (and even fully) subsided after working through deeper carried traumas. When the body can release stored tensions, anxieties, and the impact of painful experiences, it can lighten the weight of chronic pain with it.
If you struggle with chronic pain and would like to discuss your situation, reach out for a consultation.
