According to PsychCentral, 50 percent of all people who suffer from chronic pain also suffer from depression. Both of these are serious issues that should be treated.
If you have suffered a life-changing injury caused by an accident resulting in serious chronic pain, follow these guidelines below to help cope with the pain and the feelings of helplessness and hopelessness that may develop as a result
What is chronic pain?
The first step is to understand chronic pain.
This type of pain lasts much longer than from the normal pain experienced by someone in a minor accident, such as a small fender bender or stubbing a toe. Below are a few symptoms WebMD suggests you may experience to know if you are dealing with chronic pain and depression.
- Unusually high levels of stress hormones
- Low energy
- Mood disorders
- Muscle pain
- Reduced mental and physical performance
If you are experiencing chronic pain and depression, listen to your body and the warning signs:
Early diagnosis for depression
You know your body best. Many doctors are trained to treat pain, not depression. If you realize that you are feeling down, push for diagnosis and treatment of your depression as well. Depression can cause your pain to be worse.
Identify stress triggers
Keep a journal of when your pain increases and look for what may be causing the increase. There may be certain events or situations in your life that cause your pain to be greater than at other times. Limiting or completely avoiding these situations is best.
Communicate your feelings
This can be hard for many people who are depressed, but discussing what they are feeling can help ease symptoms. Don’t keep all of your feelings bottled up inside or this can cause even more serious pain and health issues.
Dual treatment for depression and pain
You are your own best advocate for your health. If you’re experiencing depression, push for treatment for the depression as well as the chronic pain. It’s extremely important to get help in both of these areas.