How Can Chronic Pain Impact Mental Health?

Studies show that pain can prevent your body and mind from functioning well. The American Psychiatric Association acknowledges the hard impact of pain on mental health. Despite the protective function of pain, its presence can disrupt the way you think and feel. Understanding how chronic pain can impact mental health can help you find better ways to deal with it. Here are the details.

The Effects of Chronic Pain

You experience pain because it is your brain’s way of telling you that something is wrong or dangerous. This allows you to prevent further harm to your body. But for some people, pain can last for a long time. Pain must not be persistent. Studies reveal that this kind of discomfort can affect your mental health.

Mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, often occur when there is chronic pain. This results in a low quality of life. Going through each day with chronic pain can trouble the mind and body. Chronic stress and pain tend to change your neurochemicals and hormones. Your mood, behavior, and state of mind become erratic because of this. When this happens, your ability to function and relate to other people weakens as well. You also experience the following:
 

• Difficulty focusing

• Mood fluctuation

• Decrease in appetite

• Fatigue

• Low self-esteem

• Frustration
   

Chronic Pain Conditions With Mental Health Issues

Research shows that chronic pain is a common reason to seek medical attention. This type of discomfort can result in opioid dependence, limited activity, and a poor quality of life. Mental health disorders also occur. Here are some chronic pain conditions that often trigger or occur with mental health problems:
 

• Chronic migraines can last for at least 15 days every month for at least three months. They often happen with mental conditions, such as anxiety and major depression. Scientific evidence shows that mental health disorders and chronic pain are often associated with disability. They are also linked with more usage of mental health care services
   

• Osteoarthritis can cause debilitating pain. It affects the spine, hips, hands, and knees. This condition can cause chronic disability and joint deformity. The limits in activities and social interaction you experience from it can lead to mental disorders, such as depression
   

• Fibromyalgia is an ailment in which the spinal cord and brain have different ways of processing pain signals. If you have this condition, a touch that is not that painful can be extremely painful for you. This condition can affect your mental health and your ability to interact with other people
   

• Multiple sclerosis disrupts the connection between your body and brain because it damages the nerves. This ailment disables the central nervous system. It can lead to depression and anxiety. The mental health disorder you experience can disrupt your family system and social support
   

• Neck and back pain can happen from trauma, muscle strain, or sleeping in the wrong position. Rare reasons for this type of pain are cancer or meningitis
   

Knowing how chronic pain can affect your mental health can motivate you to seek proper treatments and gain better health. At The Spine Clinic, we help our patients achieve better health and well-being through our safe and effective treatments. Feel free to drop by our clinic in Salem, Oregon, for an in-person consultation. Please call 503-362-5555 to schedule an appointment or learn more about the connection between chronic pain and mental health.